Saving Jack
by Lastsyns
Summary: The Doctor is pregnant with his and Jack's twins. Yet when Jack tries on a device that separates him from the Doctor, it is now the Doctor's turn to save Jack. Sequel to save him but able to be read as a separate story as well.
1. Chapter 1

_The game Better Than Life, is from the show Red Dwarf. Though for this story I am going to be using the concept found in the books more than the one on the show._

Gamer heads.

The colony on Mimas, Saturn's moon was full of them. The game started out simply enough as a new advancement in virtual reality. The only problem is that once someone started playing, the game protected itself, and they no longer realized that they were in the game. People fell down stairs, walked in front of cars, or let their bodies go to waste from not eating, while in the game they lived the kind of life they had only dreamed of. That was while the game was called Better Than Life. The main problem was it wasn't just better, it was their life. They never found a way to help the people who lived out the rest of their lives away from reality. There was only one way to leave the game and that was you had to want to leave. To simply remove the machine would kill them and very few were successfully reached by interfacing with the system. Of the ones who were reached only two left the game in the end. Of those two one committed suicide within a few short months and the other went insane.

Now normally a place like Mimas, wasn't a place the Doctor would willing frequent. Ever since his being captured and tortured for months on end, he preferred the quieter parts of the universe. Especially with the twins growing inside of his stomach. Mimas was anything but quiet as it was a popular stop off for people heading back to Earth or out of the solar system all together. Cars on top of cars lined the roadways and crowds were the main sight on every street and in every building. Traffic jams here could last for days and more and more cars were being abandoned in favor of space hoppers. The space hoppers though made the Doctor sick, as they jumped around the traffic to reach destinations quickly. So instead, he walked hand in hand with Jack, down the busy streets, trying to reach a small restaurant.

"Remind me why we are here again?" Jack asked as he dodged around a group of gamer heads. The Doctor held his hand tightly as he turned sideways to avoid hitting the group as well.

"Your children want Mimian noodles and this is the best place to find them," the Doctor stated, blaming his craving on the babies. As a Time Lord he never got cravings and wouldn't admit to the cravings even if he did. Being pregnant with half human children, gave him a free pass to drag Jack around the universe just to eat and for the last week he had done just that. He woke Jack up at all hours of the night, to accompany him various places. Jack was sure he had gained a stone in the last week but the Doctor looked as skinny as ever, even with his growing stomach.

"Right," Jack drew out the word as he continued to walk. He looked back at his lover who wiggled his eyebrows cheekily at him. Jack smiled. He couldn't be mad for long at the Doctor. He loved the man with all of his heart and could feel the love returned through there bond to be married. Even if they never did get married, Jack still knew they would be together until the Doctor's last breath. He pulled the Doctor up to him and kissed him on the lips.

"Jack." It was the Doctor's turn to whine as Jack displayed their affection in public.

"No one is watching anyways Doctor," Jack commented as he motioned to the gamer heads surrounding them. "I could push you up against the wall and take you right here, and no one would look twice." He nipped the Doctor's ear and the Doctor moaned and pulled away.

"No," He said firmly as he started towards the restaurant again. Jack sighed, grabbing his hand to follow him. There was a small table set up before the restaurant with the gaming devices for sale on it. They were illegal to sell technically, but the Mimian police looked the other way, their pockets full of money. The Doctor picked one of the devices up to exam it. He pulled out his sonic and the device buzzed as he tried to get a reading. Jack to examined the device. He held it up to his eyes to look in it, not understanding how you could get addicted to a game.


	2. Chapter 2

The Doctor sighed, seeing that Jack had put the headset on. Now Jack was trapped in the game with the rest, and while he could pull the device off, he would rather not kill Jack. Now he actually had a unique opportunity to scan the device, and hopefully help the other gamer heads. Turning his sonic towards Jack, he began to scan. Almost immediately Jack started to scream in pain. He turned to run away from the source. The Doctor stopped scanning, reaching out to grab Jacks arm before he lost him.

"Oooo," the Doctor moaned. "I am sorry." Knowing that Jack wouldn't know he was there, but needing to comfort him, he gently stroked Jack's arm. Jack stopped screaming now the sonic had stopped. Once again he was lost within the game. Having calmed down, the Doctor began to pull Jack towards the restaurant. It may have seemed selfish, but their was nothing more he could do for Jack until he got him back to the TARDIS. They had come all this way for the noodles and he wasn't about to turn around empty handed. The thought of not getting them made him tear up a little, so keeping his hand on Jack's wrist, he made it to his destination. No one looked twice as he entered with Jack in tow. The place was just as crowded as the streets and he pushed his way up towards the front.

"Health inspector," The Doctor lied, pulling out his psychic paper. The other patrons moved out of his way and he walked right up to the counter. The man behind the register eyed him. His day was almost over and a health inspection would put him into overtime. He just wanted to get out so he could go party on another of Saturn's moons.

"How can I help you sir," The man groaned as politely as he could.

"I just need to see inside your kitchen and take some samples back to my lab to test." The Doctor informed him. He let go of Jack for a moment. Keeping an eye on his lover he let himself behind the counter and gathered a few containers. The man watched him as he collected several different types of noodles and sauce. He placed them all in a plastic bag as he continued to inspect the property. The Doctor hummed and hawed, scanning with his screwdriver for show. "Everything looks in order. I am going to take these and I will be back with the results in a day or two."

Climbing out from behind the counter again, he grabbed Jack's arm and headed out of the restaurant. The man stared at him dumbfounded as they left. The Doctor waited until he was down the street, before opening one of the containers to slurp the noodles happily. He groaned in delight at the taste. Perhaps there was more than one good thing about Jack being a gamer head. Not only could he try to find a way to help the others, he also didn't have to share his noodles. He closed the lid and placed the container back inside the bag. He could finish them once back on the TARDIS.

_-Better Than Life-_

Time was passing to quickly for Jack's liking. Eight years had passed since he had taken care of the Doctor after he was tortured. It didn't seem like eight years though. It had seemed almost as if in a blink of the eye, he had married the Doctor. Their wedding was a simple one in front of close friends and family. Even his daughter had shown up with his grandson. Not only was she pleased he was getting married, she was also ecstatic to find out she was going to have siblings.

Their twin sons had been born shortly after the wedding, by c-section. The Doctor had managed to carry them all eleven months, before giving birth to their healthy boys. They were blessed by the fact the boys were well behaved and even started sleeping through the night shortly after birth. Jack hardly ever had to discipline them and both of them were as smart as their Time Lord father. They loved school and were top of their class.

Even Torchwood had changed. Torchwood had finally been recognized by the citizens as being necessary. After the funding had poured in and he was begged to expand. He had resisted at first and if it hadn't been for the Doctor he probably would still be underground in the sewers. The Doctor though had stood by his side and even agreed to head the science department. Now thanks to the Doctor believing in him, Torchwood employed over 1000 employees over three different countries. He was even in talks of spreading to the United States in the following year.

He thought having so many out post that he would be bogged down at the office until all hours, but that wasn't the case. Every night he was able to leave work by five and head to his beautiful home and loving family. He would walk through the doors of their large six bedroom home and be greeted by the delicious smells of the Doctor cooking dinner. It still amazed him even after eight years that the Doctor was his husband. It also amazed him that the Doctor had taken to living domestically, with no fuss. Ever since their trip together to Mimas, he had seemed more confidant again. Not that Jack was complaining, especially when it came to sex. The things that man could do, Jack groaned in pleasure just thinking about it. Looking at his clock in the office, he was disappointed to see it was only one in the afternoon. He still had four hours of work left.

"Can I come in?" The Doctor asked, opening his door slightly. Jack smiled upon seeing him and motioned him closer. The Doctor came in closing and locking the door behind him.

"Is there something you need," Jack asked professionally. The look in the Doctor's eyes said it all. He approached Jack, nipping his ear softly.

"You," the Doctor, hissed, as he ran his hand up Jack's thigh and across his groin. Jack groaned as the Doctor pulled his zipper down. He leaned back slightly when the Doctor dropped to his knees and he felt the cool mouth engulf him. He reached down, running his hands through the thick brown hair. He thought he had been happy before when he ran Torcwood with his pregnant lover. This was better than that life though. This was almost perfect.


	3. Chapter 3

Once aboard the TARDIS, the Doctor reluctantly set aside his bag of noodles to examine Jack again. The easiest way to remove the device from his head was to just take it off. That was also the cruelest way to remove the device. Everyone who just had the device removed died of shock. Whether it was from having their mind ripped from the game or the shock of finding out that the life they were living wasn't real, no one knew for sure. Still he would rather avoid just killing Jack. Now that they were where Jack couldn't be lost from him, he pulled his sonic out, once again scanning Jack.

Jack screamed in pain and then suddenly his body went rigid. He started to fall backward and the Doctor barely caught him. Carefully he guided Jack the rest of the way to the ground and then watched on horrified as Jack went into convulsions, his whole body shaking slamming against the ground. Taking his coat off, he folded and slipped it beneath Jack's head to keep it from bouncing on the metal grating.

"Emergency protocol one," He yelled at the TARDIS, pulling the hand break. He felt helpless as he tried to drive the TARDIS back to the hub and keep time on the seizure Jack was having. The seizure was going on to long though and Jack's lips were turning blue. Hurrying as fast as he could, the Doctor ran to the medi-bay and to his medicine cabinet. He grabbed a few syringes, a muscle relaxant as well as a seizure medication for humans before hurrying back to the control room. Jack was still having the seizure when the TARDIS landed and Martha rushed on board.

"Jack," She asked in surprise, upon seeing him in the middle of a seizure. The Doctor dropped to his knees beside Jack and pulled the cap off the syringe.

"The seizure is going on six minutes now." The Doctor informed her. He filled the syringe and passed it to her. Taking it, she found a spot and pressed it into Jack's arm, emptying it.

"Can I help?" Ianto asked, having followed Martha into the TARDIS.

"Go grab the small oxygen tank from the autopsy room," Martha ordered. Ianto turned running off of the TARDIS.

"What is on his head?" she asked as the Doctor filled the second syringe. She reached up to take it off and the Doctor didn't stop her. He didn't know if it was causing Jack's seizure or would make the seizure worse. He emptied the second syringe into Jack's arm and the seizure finally stopped. Jack lay there deathly still. His lips were tinged blue and he wasn't breathing. The Doctor gently tilted his head back. Martha grabbed the ambu-bag out of her emergency medical bag. She sat it down before reaching into grab the ventilation gear.

"You need to breathe Jack." The Doctor informed him, his voice stern. "You don't want Martha to shove that tube down your throat." Jack didn't acknowledge whether or not he heard the Doctor beyond taking a small shaky breath, followed by another. Ianto returned with the oxygen tank and they put the mask over Jack's mouth and nose, turning it on. Martha pulled her stethoscope out. She opened Jack's shirt and listened to his heart. It was beating to quickly.

"Damn it," She cursed. She quickly examined Jack's back and neck, looking for any injuries. The Doctor helped her and not finding any, he moved to pick Jack up without thinking. "Doctor, let Ianto please. I don't want you carrying that kind of weight." The Doctor nodded stepping back and allowing Ianto to pick Jack up instead. Rather then heading towards the medi-bay, Ianto started towards the autopsy room, with Martha and the Doctor close behind him.

"What was that thing on his head," Martha asked and they walked.

"It is a virtual reality game, called Better Than Life. The game was discontinued though because it made the user forget they were in a game." The Doctor explained simply. "I scanned the device with my sonic and that is what triggered his seizure." They reached the autopsy room and Ianto laid Jack down on the bed before stepping back to let Martha and the Doctor intervene again. The Doctor grabbed an IV and placed it in Jack's arm, as Martha began to take Jack's vitals again.

Jack was immortal with healing capabilities that should have allowed him to recover from the seizure quickly. The fact that he wasn't waking up, was the most worrying thing of all. Martha had never seen Jack knocked down like this and she didn't know how to help him. The easy solution would be to let him die and come back to life, but with his body chemistry thrown off, she didn't know if that was the right solution. It was also not the path she wanted to take. She wasn't going to resort to killing Jack just to make caring for him easier. Instead she turned to set the machines to run and MRI on his brain. She needed to know what she was dealing with, if she was going to help him.

_-Better than life-_

Jack laid on the bed with the Doctor's naked body entwined with his. They had skipped out of work early to continue what was started in the office, in the comfort of their own bed. The Doctor's body had moved with his several times as the Doctor responded to every caress. Jack loved to hear the noises that his lover made and thanks to his quick recovery time, he was able to hear those noises several times. Looking at the time, he carefully got out of bed and covered the Doctor, handing him a pillow to wrap himself around.

As much as he wanted to stay in bed, school would be out soon and he needed to pick up the kids. Normally the Doctor would pick the children up on the way home from work. Seeing as he was all ready home, Jack decided he could collect them this time. Getting dressed, he kissed the sleeping Doctor on the head before he made his way down the stairs and into his black car. He was almost to the school when a truck ran the red light. He swerved to try to avoid it, but it hit his car square in the passenger side, causing the car to flip. He screamed in surprise and pain as the car landed upside down. He barely had time to think before a second car slammed into the driver's side and his world went black.


	4. Chapter 4

Martha had just finished setting up the MRI, when Jack's body began to contort with a seizure again. Martha turned the machine on anyway so that she could try and get a reading of what was happening to his brain during the seizure. She planned to continue to run them after to find out what they were dealing with. Although she was unhappy to see that Jack was having a seizure again, she was calm about it. She was about to tell him he was being silly when the Doctor snipped at him.

"Stop it now," The Doctor growled angrily as he glared down at Jack.

"Doctor," Martha chastised him with her tone. "I agree he is just being silly now, but we don't need to yell at him. He is going to stop this silliness and then wake up." Martha glared right back at the Doctor as she kept her tone calm. The seizure thankfully didn't last as long as the first one and Jack immediately began to breathe on his own again after. Martha rubbed Jack's shoulder roughly to try to rouse him, but he showed no signs that he was coming around.

The Doctor on the other hand, just stared at Jack lost. Ever since Jack had became immortal, he didn't get sick, or even stay hurt for long. It was selfish to admit, but part of the reason that he loved Jack, is that Jack wouldn't leave him. Jack would be there by his side, long after the humans he loved passed on. They could raise their two children together and he would never be alone again. Yet because of him Jack was hurt.

The MRI finished running and together they reviewed Jack's scans. As they did Jack decided to have a third seizure but it was short lived. Looking at the scans they saw that Jack's brain activity was way to high for him being in a coma like state. His brain activity should have been low but instead it seemed as he was still being stimulated some how. As if he was still lost in the game. The Doctor considered trying to reach Jack through a telepathic connection, but with out a third party who could pull him back, it was too dangerous. He didn't know what was causing the activity and he feared he could become lost as well.

"I have never seen brain activity so high in a coma patient before. It is almost as if he is dreaming," Martha said as she reviewed the scans. "Any ideas on how to wake him up.

"Hmm, a few," the Doctor answered. He pulled out his thinking glasses and put them on as he leaned closer. "Until he does wake up though, we need to make sure that we are getting him plenty of nutrition. His body requires a lot of calories and without them he could starve to death in just a few days. I will get the high energy drips off the TARDIS as well as more seizure medication for him."

"I know I sound horrible for asking this, but would it be kinder to let him die and revive?" Ianto asked revealing that he was still standing off to the side of the room watching them.

"Letting him die is not an option Ianto," The Doctor said sadly. In a rare open display of affection, he kissed Jack on the forehead and brushed Jack's hair back softly with his fingers. "Martha do you still have the energy reader you use for me?"

"Of course," Martha stated. She pulled out the small box and the Doctor hooked it up to Jack. He manipulated the settings with his screwdriver to read Jack's energy. They both stared at the readings in surprise when they saw that Jack's energy had dropped to %80. Something was killing Jack and the Doctor feared that if they didn't reserve it, this time he could die for good. He sat down heavily beside Jack and took Jack's hand in his. He wouldn't let that happen, he was going to save Jack.

"Just sit there and relax Doctor. I am going to go and get the drips for Jack. I want you to stay off of your feet until I get back. Do you understand?" He nodded. He didn't look up as Martha handed him a bottle of water. She was worried with how pale the Doctor had become. "Good, drink the water and I will be back shortly." He continued to hold the water in one hand and Jack's hand in the other as her footsteps retreated out of the room.

"I need you Jack," The Doctor whispered as soon as Martha was out of the room.


	5. Chapter 5

Jack lay depressed and alone in his bed, in a small single apartment. After the car accident things had gone down hill quickly with the Doctor. They had fought constantly about how Jack was a dangerous driver and he could have killed their sons. They fought about work and they fought about the small stupid things. It seemed as if all they did was fight before the Doctor kicked him out of their home and took their sons. He lost almost everything in the divorce. He never thought that the Doctor would be that vindictive. It almost reminded him of his second wife.

He had loved her but as the years passed he found out that the only reason she had married him, was because he didn't age. She had ran into him years before as a teenager and recognized him instantly when they met again. She was convinced that he had found the fountain of youth and that he refused to share it with her or their two children. She cried and begged him to make her like him. When he told her he couldn't, she brought the children into it.

"You are going to let your children die," she had hissed. "Are you really that selfish that you will let your children die?" After she had left him, he often thought about her words. It wasn't selfishness that kept him from turning his children immortal. This was before he had met up with the Doctor again so at that time, he didn't know why he was. He did know that it wasn't selfish to let his children live mortal lives. No, it would have been selfish to force them on as immortals. He just hoped they lived long happy lives and never had to know the pain of losing one of their children and being forced to live on. He had seven children over the years including his two sons with the Doctor.

His very first child, he had watch take her first and last breath on the same day. She had been born too early, in a time when medicine wasn't available to save her. He had been heartbroken and blamed everyone for her death, especially the Doctor. If the Doctor hadn't left him on the Game Station, he would not have ended up in the 1800's and made to suffer his precious daughter's passing. The night she died, he tried to kill himself as well, taking a handful of pills and washing them down with all the alcohol he could find. He had awoken the next morning and couldn't understand why he had lived.

His second and third child both had lived long and healthy lives, dying well into their eighties. He kept an eye on them from a far, until their dying days. The same with his fourth child, a son he conceived from wedlock. That son had died young in war. His youngest daughter was still alive and healthy, but every year she got older while he stayed the same.

Jack rolled over and reached for the phone again, just to set it back down. He wanted to call the Doctor and apologize. He wanted his life back with his sons and his loving husband. He wanted weekend dinners with his daughter and grandson and trips to other planets. He wanted to be happy again with the man he had waited over two thousand years for. But just like the first eight years of their marriage it was gone in a blink of the eye, and he didn't quite understand why. Grabbing the bottle of whiskey, that was now a permanent fixture on his bedside table, he brought it to his mouth and took a long drink. The alcohol burned going down but at least it made him feel something besides the sadness.

-DW-

The Doctor sat in the chair beside Jack, still holding his hand. In normal circumstances he would have disobeyed Martha as soon as she was out of the room and tried to connect telepathically to Jack. The only thing that was stopping him was the two children growing in his stomach. He needed to be healthy in order to keep them healthy and growing. After the circumstances of the last two years, staying healthy was hard enough for him, without being intentionally reckless. He sat down the bottle of water and placed a loving hand on his stomach as one of the babies began to kick. Standing up again, he placed Jack's hand on his stomach.

"You're going to be able to feel them soon," He informed Jack. They weren't big enough to feel the kicking on the outside yet and he couldn't wait until Jack could feel it.

"Why aren't you sitting and resting like I asked?" Martha wondered as she came back into the room.

"The babies are kicking and I wanted Jack to know," The Doctor admitted quietly. He placed Jack's hand gently back on the bed, before reaching out to take the high energy drip from her. She gave one of them to him and he replaced the saline drip with it.

"I will do everything I can to wake him up," Martha promised. She placed the rest of the drips into a cupboard and locked it. She didn't want them to get mixed up with the regular saline drips they used. She ran through Jack's vitals and examined him from top to bottom. Apart from the high brain activity and low energy, he was holding his own. He was stable and she didn't know how she could bring him out of the coma. There was nothing besides the game to account for the coma in the first place.

Turning to look for the device, so she could examine it, she saw that the Doctor had all ready found it. He was sitting again a short distance from the bed and had commandeered one of the metal carts she used. He had the device laying out on the cart and was in the process of taking it apart with his sonic. It was the fact that his tongue was pressed against the roof of his mouth and his thinking glasses were perched on his nose, that kept Martha from saying anything. The Doctor was deep in thought trying to figure out how the game worked and the sooner he did the better.

Jack was stable but Martha couldn't just wait for answers. Instead she began working on Jack's MRI results again. Looking for anything that they may have missed. Anything that would allow Jack to awaken and return to the Doctor.


	6. Chapter 6

As Martha examined Jack, the Doctor had sat down to examine the gaming device. It had fallen off when they had transferred Jack from the TARDIS to the autopsy room and the Doctor couldn't help but wonder if the first seizure had been Jack's mind disconnecting from the device. Grabbing one of the metal carts, he carefully laid the device down on it and ran his sonic across it. He tried several different settings and none of them returned a result. The device had been shorted out. He considered going to pick up another working one but he didn't want to leave the hub alone. For now he was going to have to satisfy his curiosity of how the device worked by taking it apart. He had just got the device apart when Jack started to have another seizure. The seizures were coming further apart now but all of them were still over three minutes long. He just wanted the seizures to stop and for Jack to return to him.

He didn't know what would have happened if Jack hadn't been there when his TARDIS crashed in the Torchwood hub. Jack had kept him alive for the first two hours while they waited for Martha to get to the hub. It was Jack who gave him the strength to let his body heal and not just take the easy way out and regenerate when he was able to. It was also Jack who had convinced him that the surgery on his hand was necessary after his hand had been smashed by a mallet. It was because of the surgery that only his small finger no longer worked. It was also Jack who held him for hours on end, helping him to sleep when his body was little more then cuts and bruises.

Now, he didn't know what would happen when Jack woke up. There was no way of knowing how the game had affected his brain. The game was called Better Than Life and it showed the person what they truly wanted. What if what Jack truly wanted wasn't him? He didn't want to end up alone again. He wanted to raise his children with Jack and then continue to travel the stars together after the children were grown. A tear slipped out before he could stop it and he sniffed. He wasn't going to cry, crying accomplished nothing. He looked down at the device again, but his eyesight was slightly blurry with unfallen tears. Irritated he pushed the cart over, letting the components of the device fall to the floor and the cart landed with a thud. Martha cried out in surprise, turning around quickly to stare at him. He stared back at her innocently.

"The babies did it," he advised her pointing at his stomach. She nodded slowly.

"So why did Jack put the game device on in the first place," Martha asked changing the subject.

"I don't know and when he wakes up, he may not remember even putting the headset on. Some users have become trapped in the game just because they think they can beat it. That somehow their minds are strong enough to recognize that they are in a game. The problem is, the game hides itself. It doesn't let the user remember they entered the game or give clues that they are still in it." The Doctor explained to Martha. "When he does wake up he is probably going to be confused. Time works differently in the game and for him one day could have passed or a thousand years."

Martha didn't miss the sad look that briefly crossed the Doctor's face before he hid his emotions again. She also knew why he looked sad. She didn't understand it though. They both knew that Jack had waited for over two thousand years just to be with the Doctor. He had even stood by the Doctor when Rose returned, and then it had been Jack's turn to fear the Doctor was going to leave him. Martha had little doubt that when Jack woke up again, their relationship would continue.

"It's going to be all right," She tried to reassure the Doctor and he smiled at her weakly.

"Yeah," He answered. He ran his hand through his hair before standing up. "I need to go and get another game device that works. I will be back." He started to leave the autopsy room.

"Take Mickey with you." Martha advised him and he laughed.

"Mickey the idiot. Then we will have two people trapped in the game."

"He is not an idiot. Take him with you or stay here." Martha told him sternly and he saluted her sarcastically. He passed Mickey at the rift computer as he headed to the TARDIS.

"Come along Mickey," He said not pausing his stride as he continued to the TARDIS. He was pleased to see that Mickey stood and followed him on board without any questions. He set the coordinates to return to Mimas. He was about to pull the hand break when he changed his mind. Reaching over he changed the coordinates to Earth again, but further in the future. There was one person who had lived both inside and out of the game and he planned to talk to them instead.


	7. Chapter 7

Of the millions of gamer heads that were created each year, only two had ever been know to exit the game successfully. That didn't give very good odds that Jack would be one of them, but then again Jack had accomplished the impossible before. The Doctor drove the TARDIS to the second one while he pulled up information on both of the former gamer heads. Both of them had come from different circumstances and it was also different circumstances that had led them to put the gaming device on.

The first one had been named only as Christine in the papers. Christine had been young when she had put the gaming device on shortly after it was released. No one at the time had realized how addicting the game truly was, but Christine's friends and family had often wondered why she needed a game called Better Than Life in the first place. Christine was a young mother with two children and a devoted husband. Both of them had good jobs and they lived in a nice home. Her husband had refused to take care of her when she gave her life to the game. He had left Christine at her parents house, taking both of the children. Her parents though were desperate to save her and took her to a research facility. It took almost three years for them to reach her in the game. When they did, they found that the life Christine had wanted was full of fame and fortune. She was a film star who made millions and was adored by everyone. Of course she hadn't wanted to leave the game.

The researchers had worked on Christine for months. They told her that as the first one to successfully leave the game she could continue to have the same fame and fortune she had. Christine had left with high hopes, only to find out that they had lied to her. Nobody cared about a gamer head and she found herself alone, with no job, no husband, no children and no money. The worse part in the Doctor's opinion is that when Christine finally did decided to take her own life, it was a week before anyone noticed she had gone missing.

The second one had been a man by the name of Arnold J. Rimmer. Arnold had been saved almost a year to the day that Christine had taken her life. It was at the same research facility but this time they hadn't lied to Arnold. They had told him that what awaited him was a normal life and that his mother was sick and missed him. It was his mother's dying wish that she could talk to her son one more time in the real world and Arnold had reluctantly agreed. Little was known about his experience inside of the game as he had refused to talk about it. What little they did find out is that in the game he was a hero called Ace and was also loved by everyone. It was something that he knew could never happen in real life.

Up until the time he had put the headset on, Arnold had been looked down upon by his family. Arnold's older brothers were everything that he wasn't and his father had never thought he would live up to their standards. Arnold had always tried to please his family but he could never live up to his brothers. After he left the game, they had watched Arnold closely, not wanting him to take his life like Christine had. In the end Arnold couldn't handle the real world any better than Christine and had been placed in a long term care facility.

The Doctor could have chosen to talk to Christine while she was still alive, but it was Arnold that he thought he could relate better to. He understood not being able to live up to your brother's standards and having your father look down upon you. In a way they were also similar in the fact that they had found a way to get away from it all. Only Arnold had got pulled back while the Doctor would have given anything to see his family one last time.

He landed the TARDIS on the freshly cut grass of a large stone building. The building had a white painted sign out front that read, "Better Than Life Institute." It was a place that had been funded by the game developers for anyone who needed help after the game was found to be addicting. Arnold was their only long term patient who had all ready left the game. The rest were still gamer heads who had been brought in by friends and family members to help them to leave the game.

"Ready Mickey," He asked, finally acknowledging the fact that Mickey was with him. Mickey looked up from the monitor where he had just finished reading the biographies of the two patients.

"Are you sure we can find answers here boss. The researchers don't seem to be able to help anyone." Mickey asked.

"It's our best shot. The researchers here are the only ones who have found a way to lead someone out of the game." The Doctor explained as he pulled his coat on. He walked off the TARDIS and into the large building with Mickey in tow. Pulling out his psychic paper he approached the desk. The woman sitting behind the desk eyed him suspiciously as he smiled at her.

"Hello, I'm Doctor James McCrimmon from the research labs in London and this my assistant Mickey Smith. We are here to see the patient Arnold Rimmer," He advised the woman.

"I don't see you on the visitors listing for today. Did you make an appointment?" She asked.

"We have come a very long way in the hopes that talking with him would allow us to help other patients." The Doctor smiled at her again. She rolled her eyes, closing the book.

"Without an appointment, I am afraid I can't let you in. If you would like to make an appointment I am sure we can get you in within the next month Doctor McCrimmon." The woman told him.

"Is there any way you can make an exception. This is a life or death situation for the man we are trying to help. We will only be five, maybe ten minutes tops." Mickey asked her for the Doctor. The woman sighed loudly.

"I will see what I can do." She stood and left the room, buzzing herself through the back door to the right. The Doctor was tempted to let himself into the back rooms with his sonic, but getting them thrown out wasn't going to help Jack. No, if he wanted to help Jack he was going to have to play by the rules this time. It seemed as if no time at all had passed before the lady came back with a man dressed in a white doctor's coat.

"Doctor James McCrimmion, I am Doctor Charles Perry. I understand you want to speak to a patient named Arnold Rimmer. Now I wasn't aware that there was another research facility in London for Gamer heads." Charles informed him.

"The facility treats more then gamer heads, this one is a special case. The device was removed from his head and is causing him to seizure. I want to discuss with Arnold what led him to leave and perhaps review your research so we can save this man." The Doctor explained.

"I have never heard of the device being removed without instantly killing the person. I would love to learn more, if you would follow me." Charles motioned them through the door and they followed him back further into the facility. The Doctor had high hopes that this man would be able to help him save Jack.


	8. Chapter 8

The office they were taken to wasn't very far away from the main lobby. Doctor Perry sat behind the desk and motioned for the Doctor and Mickey to take a seat. The office was sparsely decorated with only a desk, a few chairs and a book shelf. It told the Doctor nothing about the man that he was suppose to be trusting with information about Jack. The Doctor couldn't even recall if he had heard the man's name before. Then again he was getting old and thick. He should change his name to thick thick thickity.

"So tell me Doctor McCrimmon, how did removing the device from the patients head come about. Surely you knew of the dangers." Doctor Perry began with a slight accusation in his voice. The Doctor narrowed his eyes as he decided that he didn't like the man.

"For reasons unknown a colleague of mine decided to put the device on his head. In hopes of being able to help other gamer heads as well as my colleague, I scanned the device for data. This caused him to have a seizure that lasted over six minutes and was only stopped with interference. When the device was actually removed is unknown, but he has continued to have seizures with high brain activity since, yet he is remaining in a coma like state." The Doctor informed him, keeping the information as simple as possible.

"How long has he been in the coma like state?" Doctor Perry asked.

"Not long," Mickey answered before the Doctor could. The Doctor nodded his agreement.

"Tell us how you rescued the other patients. I understand that you went into the game but how was that accomplished?" The Doctor questioned changing the subject.

"We had to link them to a centralized computer and then enter the game and find them. Despite contrary beliefs, every game is an individual game, not one world interconnected. In order to reach someone, you have to try to enter their game, and even then they can be impossible to find." Doctor Perry began.

"Why?" Mickey wondered leaning forward.

"Every game is built with the same data, but the game also draws information from the player's mind. Anywhere the player has been or has read about or just seen in movies, can be experienced in the game. So even though we enter the game, expecting to find the player, it can take months of searching the game they built to even find them. As you well know we only have two success stories of people leaving the game willingly."

"And of those two, only Arnold survived," The Doctor added.

"Correct. It is sad that we weren't able to keep Christine alive, but no one was interested in her story. People know that there are gamer heads and that it is a growing epidemic, even with the bans on selling, buying and production of the game. Yet they choose to ignore it as long as someone they know isn't a gamer head. We have managed to contain the epidemic to Mimas with the exception of the few gamer heads scattered around in various hospitals and care facilities." Doctor Perry stood. The Doctor and Mickey stood with him and followed him out of the room. He walked a short distance to another door that had a thumb printer scanner to open it. Placing his thumb on the scanner, he let the three of them into a locked ward.

"Micheal was one of our first patients. We were able to successfully reach him inside the game and do talk to him on a regular basis, yet he refuses to leave the game." Doctor Perry stopped out side a door and opened it to reveal a padded room. Inside the room a man with long brown hair sat against the wall laughing. He was skinny to the point he was skeletal looking and had bandages covering his arms.

"Why is the room padded?" Mickey asked as they looked inside.

"Gamer heads are not aware of what is happening in the real world. They will fall down stairs, bump into things and even walk into traffic, without knowing it." The Doctor answered.

"They also don't take care of themselves. We try to get them to eat a few meals a day, but most we end up having to strap down to a table and place on an IV in order to keep them alive." Doctor Perry told him. He closed the door on Micheal and they kept walking. "Arnold is our most unique patient as he chose to leave the game and has continued to live outside of it. Unfortunately his mind has been unable to cope with reality. I know you have come a long way to help your colleague but I am unsure how much help Arnold will be able to give you."

"I would still like to speak with him," The Doctor said.

"Of course, right this way." Doctor Perry continued down the hall. They passed several more padded rooms with men or women in them. Most were slumped against the walls while a few of them acted out the game they were playing. Finally they stopped at a room different from the rest. Inside sat a man in a gray space uniform wearing a matching tie. His hair was cut very short in a military style and he had drawn an H on his forehead in black marker.

"Arnold," Doctor Perry said softly. "You have guest."

"Aw Listy," Arnold replied happily. "You seriously believe a piece of fungus like you has got the stuff to become an officer?"

"Listy," Mickey asked Doctor Perry confused.

"David Lister, was his bunk mate aboard the mining ship they both worked on. He was with David when he put the device on. He also speaks of a man called Cat and a robot called Kryton. Both of them as far as we can tell, are just characters from his game."

"My name is the Doctor, Arnold and I have come to ask you a few questions about a game you played," The Doctor informed him as he stepped into the room.

"Everybody knows you only use the AR machine to have sex," Arnold told him snidely. Mickey snickered loudly and the Doctor glared at him before turning back to Arnold.

"Do you remember playing a game called Better Than Life," The Doctor asked him.

"I don't play games Listy, I am going to be an officer." He informed me with a scoff.

"You were in a game though, do you remember why you left it?" The Doctor tried pushing for information, but whether or not Arnold comprehended the question was unclear. He did a weird salute where he placed his arm out in front of himself and spun it three times before bring his hand up to his forehead. "Please Arnold it is important, I need to know why you left the game, Better Than Life."

Look, we've all got something to contribute to this discussion. And I think what you should contribute from now on is silence," Arnold told him as he turned his back on him.

"I think that is enough discussion for today," Doctor Perry spoke up, seeing that Arnold was distressed. The Doctor opened his mouth to argue and then glared at Mickey again, as Mickey took his arm and led him out of the room. They followed Doctor Perry out of the back rooms and into the main lobby once more.

"Please stop by again or phone with information regarding your colleague. I would be interested to know whether or not you are able to help him." Doctor Perry said, extending his hand. The Doctor took it and shook his hand before heading out of the hospital. Mickey followed behind him.

"That was a waste of time," Mickey stated as the Doctor unlocked the doors to the TARDIS.

"Maybe not," The Doctor replied. He had an idea of how he could help Jack. Now the hard part was going to be getting Martha to agree with him.


	9. Chapter 9

"Absolutely not," Martha said. The Doctor's plan was insane and she knew it from the moment that he walked into the autopsy room again. He had looked at her with a sheepish grin before heading over to check on Jack's vitals. Martha didn't know how long they had been gone but on Earth only about an hour had passed between the TARDIS leaving and then returning. She was slightly surprised and disappointed that Mickey hadn't come into the autopsy room as well, but once the Doctor told her his plan to save Jack, she understood why.

"But using the bond is the only way to reach him." The Doctor argued. It was Doctor Perry's research that had led the Doctor to the conclusion that using the bond would be the best way to reach Jack. From the information he gathered at the facility, he could use the bond to enter Jack's mind and search for where he was hiding. As long as he didn't push to deep into Jack's mind, and left himself a clear path back it would be fine... he hoped.

"You told me that your mind could become trapped with his. What if that happens? What am I suppose to do, just care for the two of you until your twins are old enough to and then pass it on to them?" Martha asked him seriously. The Doctor placed a protective hand on his stomach.

"That isn't going to happen." Martha opened her mouth and the Doctor continued with his voice slightly raised. "Jack can't wait for the twins to be born before I go in and find him. If we wait he could die or his mind could become trapped permanently in the dream state. With there was another way or someone else who could reach him, I would let them try, but their isn't."

"What about River?" Martha questioned, even though she knew the Doctor was right. She didn't like taking the risk, but it had to be done.

"We haven't seen River since shortly after the General was found. Please Martha let me try to save Jack?" The Doctor asked her.

"Fine, but I am going to be right here monitoring you the entire time and if I tell you that you have had enough for the day, I expect you to listen to me. We need to do this as safely as possible in order to prevent you and your children from becoming endangered." Martha told him.

"I will be careful," The Doctor replied. He walked to the side of Jack's bed again and taking a deep breath placed his hands on Jack's temples. Taking another breath, he closed his eyes and using the bond they had formed, pushed his way into Jack's mind. The perimeter of Jack's mind was a barren wasteland. As far as the Doctor could see there was just dirt and nothing. It would be very easy to become lost in here. He wasn't the best telepath but thankfully he had enough training that he could lay himself a path to follow back. He walked carefully minding his step and avoiding any holes or traps that Jack had laid to keep others away. It seemed as though he had been walking for miles when he heard Martha calling out to him. Placing a new marker, he pulled back, and immediately collapsed backwards.

"Easy now boss," Mickey said as he caught the Doctor falling.

"I was calling you for awhile. Next time you ignore me this stops." Martha chastised him. She had a blood pressure cuff as well as a bottle of water. She pressed the water into his hand and wrapped the cuff around his other arm.

"I didn't hear you," he admitted. He took a drink of the water and then made a face. "I need a cuppa."

"Mickey will make you one. I don't want you moving any further then to sit in that chair." Martha informed him, motioning to a nearby chair. He stood shakily with Mickey's help and sat in the chair. Martha brought a stool over and helped him prop up his feet. "Finish the water and then I want you to drink all the tea."

"I am not that thirsty," He complained.

"That's too bad, because I want to do an ultrasound before I am going to allow you to leave the autopsy room. In order to get the clearest pictures it is best if you have a full bladder. So I suggest you drink up unless you want me to keep you here overnight as well." Martha told him.

"Primitive human medicine," he grumbled to himself as he took another drink of the water. Martha was thinking about having Mickey and Ianto move another bed into the autopsy room and keeping him over night even without the ultrasound. The Doctor had gone sickly pale and his cool skin was slightly clammy to the touch. His blood pressure was also the highest she had seen it since she had began monitoring him. Mickey returned with his tea and he took it and began to drink it, ignoring his water.

In a normal human pregnancy Martha, would have asked him to stop drinking tea due to the caffeine in it. Yet the Doctor had always told her that tea was beneficial for a Time Lord and helped his brain. Martha could have informed him that she didn't think he was being truthful about tea, but that would just result in him dragging out one of his books written in Gallifreyan. He would open it, flip a few pages and then read to her that it was all right for him to drink tea when for all she knew the book was about horses and not Gallifreyan pregnancies. She smirked and he looked over at her confused.

"Nothing," She told him. He nodded slowly and then finished the cuppa. He finished the water and another cuppa as well before Martha was satisfied he had drank enough. She turned on the ultrasound machine and had him lean back more in the chair, leaving his feet propped up. Squirting a liberal amount of the gel on his slightly bulged stomach, she began her search for the twins.

"There is baby number one," She said and marked it on her screen as she took measurements. The baby was still doing well and on the right track growth wise. She found baby number two hidden behind the first one, just like normal. Baby number two was slightly smaller then its twin but there wasn't enough of a difference to be concerned about. She was just happy that both were still doing well and developing properly. "I know you probably want to wait, but the twins are far enough along now that I could tell their gender if you want to know."

The Doctor considered it for a moment. The gender didn't matter either way to him as long as the twins were healthy. Though he had to admit that he would be happy if they were girls. On Gallifrey he only had four sons and Susan was his only granddaughter. He didn't raise Susan though. Jack would say the same thing about wanting healthy babies, but he also knew that Jack wanted boys. He turned to look at Jack. He didn't know if he would be able to save Jack. He was going to try his hardest to but in the mean time he had to worry about his health and the health of the twins.

"I want to wait until I can find out with Jack." He told Martha.

"Fair enough," Martha smiled. She finished with her exam and then put the ultra sound machine away. "You can use the loo now and then I want you to go to bed and rest. No more traveling on the TARDIS or anything that doesn't involve you laying in the bed and resting tonight. Tomorrow I will check you again before I agree to let you enter Jack's mind. If you aren't fit enough you may have to wait a day or so," Martha said. He was to tired to argue her. He nodded and got slowly to his feet to head down to his and Jack's room. As tired as he was he didn't think he would be able to sleep. He changed into his favorite jimjams, scowling slightly as the felt tight across his growing stomach. Yawning, he crawled beneath the blankets, his body wrapped around Jack's pillow, breathing in his familiar scent. Tears streamed down his cheeks and he held the pillow tighter as he cried quietly until exhaustion overtook him and he drifted off into a dreamless sleep.


	10. Chapter 10

Martha stayed overnight to keep an eye on not only Jack but the Doctor. Jack was still having regular seizures and she monitored him to make sure that he kept breathing after each one. She also monitored that he remained stable. She felt helpless at the fact that there was little more she could do to help him, but that she had to rely on the Doctor to lead him out of his nightmares. As for the Doctor she checked on him several times during the night to make sure that he was also all right.

It broke her heart when she checked on him the first time to see his face still glistening with fresh tears. She had no doubt that he loved Jack, even if he didn't show it in a way that was considered normal. He was heartbroken that Jack was hurt and she knew that he would blame himself. Letting him help Jack, even if it was against her better judgement, would help him. Over the night he remained relatively calm in his sleep, only mumbling a few times. It was almost an hour after she checked on him for the last time that he appeared in the autopsy room. His hair was freshly washed and he was wearing a pair of brown trouser and a blue button up shirt. Though he was shoe and tieless, he had shaved and was looking like his normal self. She would have almost believed he was felling better if it wasn't for the shadows beneath his eyes.

"Tea," He offered her the second cup he was carrying as he took a sip of the one in his hand. She took the tea and took a small sip. Normally in the mornings she preferred coffee, but during her travels with him, had gotten use to tea instead. Given the choice though she would choose coffee almost every time though. "How is he?"

"No changes overnight. He is still seizing and his energy levels remain about 80%." Martha advised the Doctor setting her cup down. He did the same and approached Jack, moving his hands to place them on Jack's temples. "Doctor..."

"Martha, please I have to try." He told her pausing with his hands just touching Jack's head.

"I told you last night I wanted to test you first. We need to make sure that you stay healthy if you want to help him and keep your babies in the womb," Martha scolded softly. It was clear though that the Doctor's mind was made up and nothing short of pulling him back and forcing him away from Jack was going to stop him. She sighed and crossed her arms at him. Taking that as consent, he placed his hands of Jack's temples and closed his eyes.

The deserted landscape continued all around him, but as he kept walking, he noticed a change. What he originally thought was just the horizon, now had a wall that was beginning to grow taller as he headed towards it. The wall stretched as far as he could see in either direction. He was worried about having to find a way through the wall but as he got closer to it, it was obvious that wasn't going to be a problem. The wall was cracking and planets dotted it, as they grew from the cracks. He heard Martha calling out to him but he ignored as he pushed on, trying to get closer to the wall. If he could leave a marker there, he would be closer to finding Jack. Martha's yelling grew more instant though and so he placed a marker with in site of the wall.

"Damn it Doctor," Martha sneered angrily as he released Jack's temples. Mickey had appeared behind him again and was holding his arm to support him. His legs still gave out though and his stomach flipped as he went down. He didn't have time to grab a bucket or make it to the loo before he was sick on the autopsy room floor. "I know you heard me that time and chose to ignore me. I am this close to kicking you out of the autopsy room and making you find someone else who can try to locate Jack." Martha held up her fingers close together. He didn't resist as Mickey picked him up and placed him in the chair.

"There is no one else," He told her as he hung his head, slightly dizzy. He had stayed way to long this time. Normally being in someone else's mind didn't make him sick. He wasn't sure why trying to help Jack was affecting him so badly, except for the fact that Jack's mind was damaged. On top of that his hormones were all ready off due to the children. He needed to go to the TARDIS and see if she could help him. He started to stand and Martha placed a hand on his shoulder to stop him.

"You are not going anywhere, without a full examination," Martha said firmly. Her tone of voice left him no room for an argument. He opened his mouth to provide one anyways and a thermometer was placed in it. He grumbled unhappily. "No talking unless you want me to take your temperature the hard way." He glared at her but closed his mouth, holding the thermometer under his tongue. He had all ready made her angry and pushing her wasn't going to work to his favor. He had no doubts that she would follow through on her threat. The thermometer was making him nauseous though and he was relieved when she finally took it out of his mouth. She listened to his hearts, looked in his eyes, ears and mouth. Once again she took his blood pressure and then pulled out another box to take his energy levels.

"Your energy is down to 91%. You need to eat something and then rest again today. I am not saying I want you on bed rest yet, but if you don't start taking care of yourself you are going to be soon." Martha chastised him. "You can sit with Jack, but if I see your hands anywhere near his temples, I am kicking you out of the room and you won't be allowed back in, until I give you clearance, is that understood?"

"Yes, Martha," He replied snidely. Martha's face softened as she knelt down slightly in front of him.

"I don't want to be the bad guy here Doctor. We discussed this though and endangering yourself is not helping you or Jack. I miss him to and want him back, so I am going against my better judgement to let you help him. Please don't make me regret it but hurting yourself anymore then you have. Use this to think about a better way to try to reach Jack or a way you can limit how long you are in his mind so you don't hurt yourself." Martha kissed the Doctor's forehead and he smiled at her weakly. She handed him his now cool tea, before going to the other side of Jack's bed and sitting down. He stood shakily and went to the kitchen. He needed to eat and then he was going to the TARDIS. Hopefully in his vast library of books were the answers that he needed.


	11. Chapter 11

The Doctor sat in the TARDIS library with his head down in his hands. He had been in the library most of the day and hadn't read a single useful thing on how to help Jack. There was no precedent for your lover's mind being stuck inside of a dream state due to a video game. There were a few things he found that may have been helpful if he was a stronger telepath or if the other Time Lords were still around to support him. Since neither was true he was going to have to improvise.

It was in a very old book, written in High Gallifreyan that he found the best information. It talked about a man who was stuck in a coma for years. The old ones had laid a path in the mans mind for him to follow out. Giving him points to rest at so that he could recover. The Doctor wondered if there was a way through Jack's wall, even a tiny little crack, that he could call Jack back from. It was similar to the way he had called to Rose across the universes. If this worked though he wouldn't have to have his hands on Jack's temples to try to reach him. Instead he could use the bond that they had all ready created to call to Jack and hopefully lead him back.

The book had also given him information that he didn't previously know about male Gallifreyan pregnancies. According to the book the genetics had been altered so that the men could also give birth naturally without having to have a c-section, which was considered barbaric. In about eighteen percent of the men they had a thin piece of membrane that allowed the hips to widen and form a birth canal. It would be easy to detect on a normal x-ray and he still had the full body x-ray's that Martha had taken when he first came to Torchwood. If he did have the membrane though, he was going to be in a lot of pain soon as his hips began to widen. That made it even more important that he find a way to help Jack and quickly.

Pulling himself to his feet, he sat the old book reverently down on the shelf. First stop was going to be the medi-bay to review his x-rays, then once more he needed to return to Jack's side. As he made his way to the medi-bay, he couldn't help but think of his oldest son.

The Doctor didn't know whether or not he could have given birth to his first son naturally. He had never been given the option and his parents had refused to acknowledge the fact he had given birth to the child. He had been taken away from the academy and hidden inside the house as his stomach continued to grow. His parents tried to protect his child by announcing that they had decided to loom another child and from that moment on he knew that he wasn't going to be allowed to raise his son. He had listened on the other side of the door as well wishers stopped by to congratulate his parents, not mentioning that he was home from the academy nor inquiring why. Whether others knew of his condition and the real reason he came home was never said. He found out once he returned to the academy everyone there thought he had left since he was such a disgrace to the Time Lords, but as he sat by the door, with his hand on his growing stomach, he wanted to tell them the truth. To tell them that the baby was his and he planned to raise it as such. He couldn't do that to his father though. He had all ready caused the family disgrace and he couldn't add to it.

Entering the medi-bay the TARDIS hummed at him and he ran his hand along the wall. He walked over to the small desk where he stored all of his medical information that was directly in the TARDIS data-banks. Pulling out the X-rays Martha had taken, he found the one of his pelvic region and place it on the lighted board. Now that he knew what he was looking for, the thin membrane was clear to see. He took down the x-ray and put it away, not really sure how he felt about it. He really didn't want to give birth naturally nor did he want a c-section. In his first body he had bore the scar from his son for years and he had to lie about how he gained the scar. Though the scar that matched it, from the bottom of his hand towards his elbow had been clear.

He would think about that later, for now though he had to help Jack. He returned to the autopsy room to find Martha sound asleep in the chair beside. Being careful not to wake her, he walked quietly to him and went to place his hands on Jack's temples. A throat clearing behind him caused him to jump and he spun around to see Mickey standing there.

"What are you doing boss?" Mickey asked his arms crossed.

"Trying to reach Jack," The Doctor answered, his tone confused. He didn't notice Mickey had followed him into the room and wondered how long Mickey had been watching him. "If you will excuse me." He turned back and once again went to place his hands on Jack's temples.

"The thing is boss. I will wake Martha if you even try and she won't be happy with being woke up. She has only been asleep for a short time as she has been monitoring Jack. So I suggest you wait until morning unless you want to be yelled at." Mickey smirked as he leaned against the wall and stared at the Doctor. The Doctor sighed, being yelled at by Martha wasn't high on his list of things he wanted to do at the moment. So instead of trying to reach Jack like he wanted, he leaned down and kissed him softly on the forehead. He grabbed his pills for the evening from Martha's lab before heading into the room he had been given in Torchwood. Locking the door behind him, he wiped the chalk boards clean and began to plan out how he was going to help Jack.


	12. Chapter 12

Jack tried to tell himself that he had stopped loving the Doctor, but even he knew it was a lie. Everyday that he worked and saw the Doctor in meetings or passed him in the halls hurt. He could see the pain in the Doctor's eyes as well, yet neither one of them made a move to tell the other on that they were sorry. Instead they moved past each other as two strangers, instead of lovers who had once known each other's bodies and minds. He liked to think that he knew the Doctor better than anyone but that man was lost to him. So instead Jack made a choice.

He gave it up.

It wasn't a hard decision to make when he actually thought about it. The fame and fortune that came with running Torchwood meant nothing to him if the Doctor wasn't by his side. So he gave it up and moved back to the sewers that he had once found love in. He moved back into his old room with a small team of people that he could rely on. Most of all he tried to get his life back and forget everything that he lost. Still he found himself listening for the TARDIS, and waiting. Waiting for the man that he had loved and lost to return to him.

-DW-

The Doctor reviewed the board in front of him once more. The information was correct, he could save Jack. The only problem with his plan is that it required an anchor and that anchor had to be another mind. One that could connect with Jack and call him back. The anchor of course would have to be him. There was no other way around it. He didn't know how long it was going to take to lead Jack home and having their minds constantly connected was going to drain his energy. Add on to that, that his hips were going to be expanding and causing him pain, and he was in for a long miserable month.

He had thought about it hard over the night of whether the pain would be worth it. If he wasn't pregnant and still healing from the torture he had received his answer would have been yes, without a second thought. Now even with a third and a forth thought, his answer was still yes. He loved Jack and didn't want to lose Jack. If that happened he knew he would always wonder what if. What if he had gone in and tried? What if he had been able to save Jack? He was tired of those questions. He was going to save him.

He fell asleep working and woke up stiff and sore on the floor of the room. Cursing silently in Gallifreyan he stretched and looked up into Martha's amused eyes.

"Did you sleep well?" She asked.

"No," he complained, sitting up. His body screamed in pain at him and he groaned as he got to his feet.

"So what is going to be the anchor?" Martha questioned as she gestured to his boards. This was an unwritten rule in Torchwood that his room was off limits to everyone but himself, Jack and Martha. There was a second rule that his boards were for his eyes only and so he normally wrote in Gallifreyan on them. Since he had written in English though Martha took that as she was allowed to read them. The information made since and she was happy to see he had thought it through. Though she was concerned about the anchor.

"I am." He admitted. "I will have to link to Jack's mind and keep an open link between us, through the bond to help guide him out. It will put a strain on my telepathic abilities and body but as long as I keep control over it, it won't drain me to much."

"What about the twins?" Martha asked, her voice immediately going to her doctor's tone.

"They will be fine, they aren't part of the bond. They will be causing my hips to spread though and putting me in pain here soon, so the sooner I can make the initial pathway the better." The Doctor told her and she nodded. She had read the board and he had included that information on it. She was going to still plan for the c-section just in case, but she was also going to plan for a natural birth. She followed him down to the autopsy room and watched on as he laid his hands once more on Jack's head.

The wall was within reach and it only took a short walk in order to reach it. The problem was finding a place that he could place the anchor. Though Jack's wall looked like it was crumbling down, it was sturdy. He walked for what seemed hours before he finally found it. A tiny gap in the wall that would allow him to place his anchor. Carefully he removed a small section of the wall, widening the gap until he could place a brick there of his own. He painted the brick the same color blue of the TARDIS and pulled back carefully of Jack's mind. He could still feel the link through the bond and he sent love through it, calling to Jack trying to lead him home.

Over the next two weeks, he mainly laid in his bed writhing in pain as his hips widened. He was on pain medication but it did little to help. Once again his room had a bed placed in it, as he was unable to climb the ladder. He had also had a catheter placed again when he had trouble getting out of bed. Martha had given him the option first of using a bottle, but when he had to use the loo often as the babies kicked his bladder and he almost wet himself several times due to having to wait for help, they both decided the catheter would be best. He was embarrassed about needing it again, but Martha was discrete in placing it and he had to admit it was easier then having to try to get up.

It was on a particular bad day, when his hips were hurting him and he was feeling sick, that he finally felt Jack's mind nearer the surface. He didn't know if it was because he was feeling so bad and just wanted Jack to hold him that finally brought him back, or if it was because Jack was ready to wake up. Either way he didn't care. His legs trembling, he stood slowly and headed to the autopsy room. He had one shot to bring Jack back and he wasn't going to miss it.


	13. Chapter 13

Martha watched the Doctor walking into the autopsy room. She had checked on him only about an hour prior and could see his medical information on the screen in front of her. The room he was staying in had been set up as an another medical room as well as his own room back when he had first come to Torchwood. She wasn't sure why he was out of bed as he was walking gingerly due to the pain in his hips but he also had a determined look on his face. She wished she could do more to resolve his pain, but there was only so much pain killers she could give him do to his pregnancy. The fact that he didn't complain how much pain he was in, did little to reassure her that he was all right.

"Why are you out of bed Doctor?" She asked in concern as he made his way slowly down the stairs.

"Jack's mind is close enough that I should be able to communicate with him," The Doctor answered.

"Can't you just use the bond?" Martha wondered. He shook his head no as he approached the bed. The Doctor hadn't been down to see Jack in a few days due to being sick and he was surprised that he looked exactly the same. Martha had taken the time to bathe Jack and shave his facial hair every day. She had also spent time making sure that she did gentle stretches on Jack's muscles to help keep them from getting atrophy to badly while he laid there. If the Doctor didn't know any better he would just think that Jack was sleeping. He leaned down and kissed Jack on the forehead, as he placed his hands upon Jack's temples.

Once again he was standing in front of the crumbling wall. He pressed his hand against the blue brick and called out for Jack. He felt Jack's mind answer in return but Jack sounded confused. Closing his eyes he focused on the feeling of Jack.

"Doctor what are you doing here? Did something happen to the boys?" Jack sound worried. The Doctor opened his eyes to find himself standing in the Torchwood hub. Jack was standing in front of him and the Doctor could see that Jack had aged a little. He had more wrinkles around his eyes and more gray hairs in the hair by his ears. The Doctor knew this was Jack's dream but it was as good of place to start as any.

"What boys?" He wondered as he looked around the hub with just his eyes. The hub looked the same as ever. There were people in the hub that he didn't recognize. He wondered where Jack's current Torchwood team was.

"Our sons, Jack and John." The Doctor couldn't stop himself and he started to laugh. He grabbed his stomach, not surprised that he wasn't pregnant in Jack's dream, as he laughed. His body shook and he felt tears running down his face from laughing so hard. He couldn't help but wonder how drugged Jack had imagined him that he would agree to those names.

"If you are going to laugh at me for being concerned, you can leave," Jack snapped and turned to head back up to his office.

"Jack wait," he called out. Jack stopped and looked at him once more. "I didn't come here to insult you. I came to bring you home."

"If you haven't noticed Doctor, I am home." Jack lied. His heart had sped up at the thought of being able to return to the mansion with the Doctor and to see his sons again.

"This isn't real though Jack. None of this has been real since you and I visited Mimas together." The Doctor explained stepping forward. Jack took a step back, making sure to keep the distance between them the same.

"Explain," Jack said firmly.

"You and I visited Mimas together because the babies wanted Mimian noodles. While we were there you put a game device on and everything from that point on has been a dream."

"For eight years," Jack sounded skeptical.

"It has been eight years for you, but only a little under a month for me and Martha. Just take my hand and come with me. I can lead you to the wall, but you have to cross it. It isn't going to be easy Jack, but I have left a pathway for you to follow." The Doctor told him, holding out his hand for Jack to take. Jack hesitated. After the last few months he had trouble trusting the Doctor. But there was the big question of what if the Doctor was right? What if this had all just been a dream? It would explain why the last eight years had suddenly gone by in the blink of an eye. It would also explain why their sons had been growing up as perfect as Jack imagined they could be.

"Think about it Jack. You are intelligent, there has to be things in this world that don't make sense. For example where is the rest of your team?" The Doctor asked gesturing to the new members.

"Torchwood has expanded and Ianto is now running the corporation. I stepped down remember," Jack rolled his eyes. "You were one of the ones who asked me to leave after we expanded into Scotland."

"I wouldn't work for Torchwood. I help you not Torchwood." The Doctor scoffed and Jack laughed this time. "When is the last time we went on the TARDIS?"

"Every weekend, before we broke up." Jack sadly told him.

"We didn't break up though. I am right here waiting for you to wake up so we can raise our twins together. I don't know the gender of the twins, but when you wake up, we can find out together." The Doctor once again held his hand out for Jack to take. "Just trust me Jack."

"I do," Jack answered, taking the Doctor's hand. He hoped beyond hope that the Doctor wasn't lying to him. That this was a dream and when he woke up, he would have his family and life back.

"Close your eyes," The Doctor said. Jack listened and a moment later when he opened them again, he saw that they were standing beside a long crumbling wall with a single blue brick in it. As far as he could see in front of them was dirt, but in the dirt was a path, lined with rocks. " I laid the path out for you to follow Jack. I can't bring you all the way out, you have to do this part yourself. When you wake up though, I will be there for you waiting." The Doctor reassured him.

Jack leaned over, placing his lips against the Doctors. The kiss that they shared was soft and gave Jack hope that he wasn't being lied to. He released the Doctor's hand, starting along the path by himself. Looking back he saw that the Doctor had disappeared, but he could still feel him calling out to him.

-DW-

The Doctor opened his eyes back in the autopsy room. He was leaning half of Jack's bed and felt his body being carefully picked up and laid on a cot that was placed beside him.

"I'm fine," He groaned.

"You passed out," Martha informed him. He groaned louder as the pin prick of a needle was pressed into his arm and an IV was placed. He wanted to argue the fact that he didn't need an IV but his head was pounding and the light in the room was too bright. Martha was talking to him but he was to disoriented to understand what she was saying. He gagged as he was rolled gently on his side and heard Martha warn him of a sharp prick. The second needle pierced his backside and the drugs she injected burned slightly. He wasn't sure what she what she had given him, but he felt the darkness washing over him and let it lull him off to sleep.


	14. Chapter 14

Martha was worried when the Doctor passed out again. The medication she gave him should not have made him sleepy. His breathing was even though and he was in a good position on his side to sleep. She first checked on the babies to make sure that they were both all right. Over the last few weeks it seemed that the Doctor's stomach had doubled in size and he now had a noticeable baby bump that he couldn't just hide. She used a stethoscope to listen to his stomach, as the bands they normally used to monitor fetal heartbeats didn't work on him. She found both their heart beats and one of them even kicked the stethoscope as she tried to listen. Sighing, she gave the Doctor a pillow, knowing he preferred to sleep with two and he wrapped himself around it. She gently then checked the rest of his vitals. After she checked his catheter to make sure it hadn't got snagged or kinked. Once she was content that he was just sleeping, she covered him with a blanket and let him be. She stood back at the end of his bed and looked over the sleeping couple. She hoped soon that they would both be awake.

To her surprise though it was Jack who started to come around first. He had been still for the last few weeks, accept for the occasional seizure. Thankfully those had tapered off after the first week of his coma. Jack groaned and then moved his arm, tugging on the IV. He didn't seem to notice though as he ran his hand down his face, smacked his lips and went still again, without ever completely waking up.

"Jack, come on you can do better then that," Martha stated as she went around the bed to his side. Jack opened his eyes to look at her in confusion.

"Martha?" He asked. "What are you doing here?"

"I work here," She chuckled. She knew there was a possibility he would be confused when he woke up. It was normal with coma patients and had been enhanced with him do to the game. He looked around the autopsy room and his eyes narrowed in concern as they settled on the Doctor.

"What happened to him?" Jack asked, trying to sit up. Martha stopped him with a gentle hand on his shoulder. She didn't want Jack moving to much before she had a chance to examine him.

"He wore himself out trying to help you. That and the pregnancy is taking a toll on his body," Martha explained.

"Our sons are eight," Jack scoffed lightly. His mind was still telling him the dream and the game was real. It was hard to understand that none of it had been real since Mimas. Martha hadn't worked for him since he stepped down. She was still the director of the medical department of Torchwood.

"I think you should tell him that. He would be happy knowing he didn't have to carry the twins for another three to five months." Martha commented. She leaned over and moved the blankets just enough to show Jack the Doctor's enlarged stomach. The Doctor grumbled at the cold on his body and she replaced the blankets, tucking them around him once more.

"Why the difference in time?" Jack questioned as he allowed himself to relax into the bed once more. Martha removed her hand, content that he was going to lay there and not try to get up again.

"We don't know if he is going to have a human length pregnancy or Gallifreyan. Also, he has really worn himself out trying to save you. I don't know how he did it, but I suggest you don't try on any unknown gaming devices in the future." Martha answered. She poured a small glass of water for Jack and held it out for him to drink. He took it gratefully and sipped the cool water.

He wanted to crawl to the next bed and hold the Doctor, comforting him as he slept. He couldn't get over the fact that the two of them had broke up. He spent months trying to get over the Time Lord after he had been kicked out of his own home. Even though none of that had really happened, according to Martha and the Doctor, it didn't matter. It still felt as though it had. His heart was still broken from watching his sons from a far, from passing his husband in halls, and from giving it all up to get his life back. He could stare at the Doctor all day, see his pregnant stomach and know that this Doctor didn't hurt him. The fact of the matter remained, dream or not it had felt so real.


	15. Chapter 15

Martha ran through a a basic examination of Jack. After the Doctor woke up, she planned to run another MRI and then a head to toe exam. For now though she was happy just making sure that Jack was recovering. His heart was strong and his eye site seemed normal. While his energy levels were still below normal, they had risen %5 just since he woke up and she had high hope that they would stabilize once he began to eat again. On a normal day Jack ate a lot to keep his energy up and even though the high energy drips had kept him alive, they weren't enough for the demands of his body. Satisfied that he was on his way to a full recovery, Martha left the room to get him a snack.

While she was gone, Jack stared at the sleeping Doctor. He considered asking Martha to switch the Doctor back to his room so he wouldn't be there when he woke up. The Doctor was sleeping peacefully though and while asleep it was easy for Jack to see the man he had fell in love with and not the vindictive stranger he had become. This was the Time Lord who loved him, even when he had be afraid of being hurt or touched intimately. The one who had promised him his hearts and was waiting to take his hand in marriage. A man who woke him in the middle of the night to go out for food for the cravings he refused to admit he had. Jack sat up and leaned over to move the blanket covering the Doctor's stomach once more.

Jack placed his hand on the bare cool stomach. His children were still safe inside the womb. There had been no arguments between him and the Doctor about their lives being endangered. Though he had boys in his dream, at the moment the gender of the babies was unknown. He smiled as he felt one of the babies kick his hand. It was just a small thump, but it was still noticeable. He left his hand there until he felt the Doctor's breathing change. Looking up, he looked into the Doctor's eyes as he stared at him sleepily.

"Hi," Jack said, removing his hand. He wasn't sure what else to say.

"Hi," The Doctor replied. He pulled the blanket back down over his stomach before curling more around the pillow.

"Oh good you're awake," Martha commented as she came into the room. Mickey followed behind her with a bowl of soup on a tray. "Now I am going to allow you to sit up a little Jack to eat. If you feel weak or dizzy though, I need to know." She picked up the remote for the bed. "Now just stay relaxed against the bed and let it do the work for you." She gently raised the bed, until he was sitting more upright. He didn't feel dizzy, just slightly annoyed that he was being treated like an invalid. He rolled his eyes as Mickey sat the tray with soup down across his lap. "Eat slowly. You haven't had anything in your system for almost a month now and I don't want to send your system into shock and have you pass out."

"That won't happen," Jack scoffed.

"Just eat slowly," Martha rolled her eyes. "Thank you Mickey for the help. I have it from here." Mickey nodded and turned to leave. Jack didn't miss the slight squeeze he gave Martha's hand as he left. Jack was happy for the two of them. He had thought they would make a good couple from the start and to see them actually pursuing it was nice. Martha though had turned her attention to the Doctor.

"How are you feeling?" She asked him, gently brushing his hair back.

"Sore, and nauseous," the Doctor admitted freely. It did little good to hide how he was feeling from Martha, since she regulated his medication.

"I gave you an injection of potassium into the IV before you fell asleep and also a shot of your energy booster to bring up your energy levels. Are they helping any?" She wondered.

"A little, maybe." The Doctor answered as he cringed. It felt like someone was driving a red hot poker into his side and then twisting it. She drew up a partial does of his pain killer into a syringe and injected it into the cannula of the IV.

"There now, I have topped up your pain killer. Also, let's try a warm compress for now and if that helps, maybe later we can see about getting you into the bath." Martha told him.

"All right." He agreed. She stepped off to the sink to get a wet towel. She returned, moved the blanket down so that his hips was exposed and laid the warm cloth on it.

"You need to eat Jack," She commented as she held the cloth against the Doctor's skin. He hadn't touched his soup as he stared at the Doctor. The Doctor being in pain was causing reality to set in faster then waking up in the autopsy room. In his dreams the Doctor had an easy pregnancy. He had been up and helping out in Torchwood until just before he went into labor. Martha had performed the c-section when he was almost exactly eleven months and their healthy twin boys had been born. He should have known that it was to perfect to be true, life didn't work like that. He had leaned that the hard way with his first daughter. He pushed the soup aside and reached out, taking the Doctor's hand in his.

"I'll eat later," Jack told Martha. The Doctor gripped his hand tightly and though it hurt Jack's fingers he didn't complain. The Doctor needed him. He lifted the Doctor's hand and kissed his fingers. "It's going to be all right sweetheart."

"It hurts Jack," He whimpered as Martha removed the compress and lowered his trousers a little to place it again. He cringed slightly as she pressed the cloth back to his skin, applying little pressure.

"Why is he hurting so much?" Jack questioned.

"His hips are widening in order to prepare his body for a natural birth. We discussed it and decided that a natural birth would be better for both him and the twins. Unfortunately it is going to cause him more pain and until he is ready to give birth, I am not willing to give him a epidural and he doesn't want one." Martha informed Jack, trying to bring him up to speed on what had happened while he was in the coma.

"I don't need an epidural," the Doctor argued as his hand began to loosen its grip on Jacks. The pain was once more fading from the stabbing sharp pain to a dull ache that was just irritable. He lay there miserable, from the pain and felt his eyes tearing up slightly. He couldn't stand another few months of this. He wanted the babies to be healthy and strong, but he was sick of feeling sick and waking up in pain.

"Martha," Jack said softly and motioned to the table. He couldn't just sit there and watch the Doctor cry. He had to do something. Thankfully Martha understood. She went around, moving it out of Jack's way. She used the remote to lower Jack's bed back down. Then she unlocked the wheels of the bed and pushed it against the Doctor's before locking it once more. Jack rolled over on to his side as close to the edge as possible. "Come here," he whispered.

"Jack," the Doctor cried, releasing his hand and moving closer to be in his arms. He groaned slightly at the pain but he made his way over to the Captain and laid so that he could be held. He bent his knee up slightly, slipping it between Jack's legs so that it was more comfortable. Jack held him tightly thankful to have his lover back.

"I've got you," Jack reassured him rubbing his arm gently. The Doctor sobbed harder. He had missed Jack so much because even though Jack was right where he could see him, everything he loved about him was gone. Now he was back in Jack's arms where he felt safe. Where he could let his worries go for just a moment. He sighed in content as Jack kissed the top of his head. He couldn't see the worry in Jack's eyes, and he didn't know that Jack still felt they had been broken up. Jack wasn't about to tell him either, he could make himself believe the dream had been just that. A dream that didn't predict the future, just emotions from his past. He had to for his family.


	16. Chapter 16

The Doctor had finally calmed down and was laying quietly in Jack's arms. They were both still recovering and both of them needed to sleep again soon, but for now they were finding silent comfort in each other. Martha hated to interrupt them as she knew they both needed each other, but she still had test to run on Jack and he still needed to try and eat. She gave them a few minutes longer then she originally planned to but then reluctantly approached them again.

"I am sorry Doctor, but I need to examine Jack. So if you will just move back some, I can separate out the beds again," Martha asked nicely. The Doctor gave her a dirty look as he lifted his head slightly. For a moment she didn't think he was going to move, but he reluctantly left the warmth of Jack's arms and laid in the middle of his bed once more. Martha released the wheels on Jack's bed and wheeled it further away so that she could run the MRI. She was eager to check his brain activity to make sure that it had returned to normal. Thank's to the technology of Torchwood she was able to run it quickly.

"It's still a little high," The Doctor commented as she pulled up the scans. She barely had time to glance at them as she turned around she saw that the Doctor was watching with his eyes barely open. She turned back to the scans and confirmed that he was right. Jack's brain activity had settled down but it was still a little higher then what would be considered normal. It was nothing to be worried about, but still something she would keep an eye on.

"The Doctor is correct. Your brain activity is a little higher then normal, but looks a lot better then the first scans that we did. When you have recovered more, we can go over all the scans if you would like." Martha offered.

"We can go over them now," Jack spoke up.

"Nice try but you are getting a top to bottom exam first." Martha informed him. Even though they were a couple, Martha still put a screen up between the Doctor and Jack before examining him. She started at Jack's head and worked her way down, checking his heart, lungs and reflexes as well. He passed all of her test. His ability to heal still amazed her and even though he had just spent almost a month in a coma, his test were the same as if he had only just been sleeping. Pulling back the screen, she tutted to see the Doctor was still awake and waiting. His IV was dripping slowly onto the floor and the tape was sticking to the side of his bed. By the size of the puddle on the floor, he had removed the IV almost as soon as she put the screen up.

"Well I am glad the floor is getting the nutrition you need," Martha commented sarcastically. "Since you are still up, it is your turn to be examined." She took care of the IV first and then set up the ultrasound machine. As she did so the Doctor rolled onto his back. He took his shirt off and pushed the blanket down to his groin. He was use to ultrasounds as Martha insisted on performing one almost every two weeks.

"Do you want to see your babies Jack," The Doctor asked, noticing Jack had turned to face towards the opposite wall. Jack looked over his should at the Doctor.

"I don't know." Jack admitted. The Doctor held out his hand towards Jack and Jack hesitated before turning over. Jack took his hand and held it as Martha squirted the gel on the Doctor's stomach. The twins had changed position since the last ultrasound Jack had been awake for and now were side by side. The one that had been in the back was still smaller and Martha was easily able to identify them.

"They are both still doing well Doctor. I am surprised that they haven't grown more in the last two weeks though. Is that normal in a Gallifreyan pregnancy?" She asked.

"Yep," He answered popping the p. "Gallifreyan babies on average are smaller then human babies. Based on the knowledge that I have and I know quite a bit, I am going to have them at the proper eleven months and not the human nine."

"Well regardless we can still tell the gender now. Baby b is in the perfect position at the moment if you want to know." Martha informed them. The Doctor turned his head to look at Jack. He had waited until Jack was there to find out the gender of the babies and it would be up to Jack if he wanted to know. Jack had only woken a short time before from his coma and forcing him to realize it was all a dream wasn't fair, but was necessary. The sooner he could put the events of the dream behind him, the sooner he would be able to return to living his life again.

"Jack?" The Doctor asked after a moment as Jack just continued to stare at the monitor. Jack looked at him. "Do you want to know?"

"Yes," Jack answered after another moment.

"All right. Now even if they are boys, we are not naming them Jack and John. We could name one of them Alistair, maybe," the Doctor commented with a smile and Jack made a face at him. They both turned to look at the monitor again as Martha moved the wand to find out the gender. It wasn't hard for anyone in the room to tell that the Doctor was going to be having girls and not the boys that Jack had dreamed. Jack was slightly disappointed as Martha wrote the word girl across the top of the ultrasound pic. Still the babies were healthy and that was all that mattered wasn't it?


	17. Chapter 17

At one point in their lives, everyone laid in bed, trying to capture the remains of a dream before it faded. Whether it was the beauty of the scenery in front of them, a game with a friend they hadn't seen in a while or just a wish that finally came true. The waking moments after you opened your eyes and realized that it was only your subconscious that had caused these events to happen, made many try to grasp the dream once more. Maybe if they just closed their eyes again, they could sleep back into the dream that was all ready gone. For Jack that dream had began with the Doctor. The Doctor was the love of his life and he never thought that he would ever have a chance to be with him. So he had lived for the dreams, where the Doctor came to him and showed him, he didn't have to be alone anymore. That the brief time he got with his lovers, didn't apply to the man who could easily live ten to twenty times that long.

His dream had came true though. He no longer had to lay in bed and try to reclaim the dream that would never happen, because it had. The Doctor had returned his love and real life was better then anything that Jack could have imagined. So why did he want the dreams back so badly? Jack picked up the whiskey that he was nursing slowly as he contemplated that thought.

It had been a week since he had awaken from the coma that he later found out had gripped him for almost a month. From the dream world that the game "Better Than Life," had given him before the device was removed. Using that information he determined that it was the game being taken off that had caused his dream to go down hill. If the game device had been left on, he could have had the Doctor, in their beautiful home, with their twin healthy boys. He still would be the head of the Torchwood empire and expanding it to eventually have a Torchwood in every country of the world.

Instead he was here, in the sewers. Yes, the Doctor was still his lover and in a few short months they would have twin girls but Jack was still having a hard time coping with the information. He resented both the Doctor and Martha slightly for removing him from the dream where everything was right and being brought back to reality. Where he had stayed three days in a hospital bed with an IV and a catheter he didn't think he needed. Where he had hardly slept due to the Doctor unable to get comfortable because of the pain that he was in and where he had lied and said he had an important call to make just to get a moments peace.

The game was called Better Than Life for a reason, it truly was better. Jack hadn't understood why the Gamer Heads had chosen to wear the devices and give up their reality before now. Now he longed to join them again in a world that he could hide in and at the end of the universe, he wouldn't be alone, but with people who loved and understood him. Jack shuddered at the thought. One of his worse fears since finding out he was immortal was being stuck in the darkness after the rest of the universe had faded. Screaming into a cold blackness with no one to save him. He could have avoided that if only he was still within the game.

Picking up the bottle of whiskey, Jack poured himself another glass. He took a long drink from the bottle before setting it back down and picking up the glass. Settling back in the chair, he decided to drink until he forgot. Forgot the false memories the game had given him and the happiness in it that would be hard to reclaim. He looked at the bottle, he was being silly. He would probably drink himself to death before he forgot, but he would be damned if he was going to try anyways.

-DW-

The Doctor lay alone on the bed in the small room that was his, trying not to let the tears he had been holding back slip. He had been having a good day and even made it out of the hub for awhile and into the fresh Cardiff air. Martha had joined him since Jack had retreated to his office. The Doctor knew that there was no phone call, he wasn't that stupid, Jack had just wanted to be alone. Why Jack felt the need to lie to him, he wasn't sure, but he let him. He loved Jack with both his hearts and wanted him to be there for their children, but he couldn't force him to stay. Ever since Jack had woken up he had been different, colder. The Doctor was trying to give him time to adjust again to being awake in the real world, but it was hard.

He had just under three months at minimum until he would have twin daughters to raise and he had little for them. They could sleep in the cot he had, he had a few blankets and a couple of generic outfits he had bought, but nothing else. Hell they didn't even have names picked out. At first they had just put it off because they had time before the babies were born. Then it was because Jack was in the coma. Now sure it had only been a week since Jack woke up, but that didn't stop time from moving forward. He couldn't do anything to slow down the pregnancy and allow Jack to adjust. He could leave in the TARDIS and just float in the vortex until Jack called, but how much time would that take. The TARDIS didn't stop him from being pregnant and he would need help to deliver the twins regardless of whether or not Jack was ready for them. There was a soft knock at the door. He hoped it would be Jack but his hopes were dashed as Martha opened the door.

"I am going to head out for awhile with Mickey. Do you need anything before I go?" She asked him.

"No," He answered not bothering to look at her.

"Are you sure? If you are in pain again I can give you a pain killer before I leave," Martha questioned coming over to the bed. He turned his head away from her, not wanting her to see the tear rolling down his check.

"I'm fine," He snipped softly.

"All right. Well if you need me you or Jack can call and I will be here as soon as possible," Martha reassured him. She didn't say anything else as she turned and left the room. The Doctor listened to her footsteps fade before he turned back to his original position. He reached out to Jack through the bond and felt it close abruptly. Choking back a sob, he grabbed his pillow and curled around it. Pressing his face against it, so that he couldn't be heard, he finally let the tears he had been holding back free.


	18. Chapter 18

The Doctor tensed as he felt Jack slip into the bed behind him. Jack smelled strongly of whiskey and he didn't know Jack's intentions. All Jack did though was wrap himself around the Doctor and pull him to his chest. The Doctor felt the warm air of Jack's breath as he spoke.

"I am sorry Doctor. I am trying, I promise I am trying." Jack whispered softly. "Is there anything I can do to show you I am trying?"

"Open the bond," The Doctor replied, his voice just as low.

"I didn't close it you did," Jack informed him and the Doctor shook his head. Jack narrowed his eyes in confusion as he wondered how he had closed the bond in the first place. He focused on the bond he had felt with the Doctor and sighed with relief as he felt it open again. Almost immediately his mind was flooded with grief. Jack raised himself so that he was propped on his elbow. The Doctor turned to look at him and tenderly he wiped a tear off the all ready tear stained cheeks.

"I am not going to leave you. I promise I am going to be right here by your side until your dying day." Jack kissed him softly on the lips. The Doctor returned the kiss almost chastely. Jack pulled back and looked into the red ringed brown eyes. "I am going to shower, sober up and then make you dinner. Then tomorrow we are going to London so that you can shop for the babies Jackie and Johnna." The look the Doctor gave him made him chuckle.

"No, absolutely not. You're kidding right Jack," The Doctor asked aghast that Jack would even suggest them. Jack just smiled at him as he leaned in and gave the Doctor a quick kiss on his forehead before getting out of bed. "We are not naming her Jackie," the Doctor stated again, his voice rising in volume until he was squeaking. "Right Jack."

"Yes I am kidding, calm down." Jack reassured him as the Doctor sat up. Jack chuckled again as he headed out of the Doctor's room and down to the shower in the room they shared. He could have showered in the main Torchwood showers but he wanted to be alone for a minute more. He hadn't meant to close the bond between him and the Doctor and wasn't even sure how he had accomplished it. All he knew for sure was that he had been drinking and felt the Doctor trying to reach him. He didn't want the Doctor to know his thoughts and as he realized the Doctor was there, he felt the bond close. Irritated he had gone to check on the Doctor, only to find out he was the one who had closed the bond.

He had been born with abysmal telepathic abilities, but still they were better then most of the humans in his colony. When he had joined the time agency he had learned just how bad his telepathy was, but they had also trained him to control it. Now the link with the Doctor had awakened it in a way he had never experienced before and he was surprised how quickly he had gotten to the Doctor always being in his head. Still sometimes he needed his thoughts to be his own. He finished showering and dressed. Heading into the Torchwood kitchen, he was surprised to find the Doctor was all ready there. He had several items out on the counter and a pan filled with water on the stove.

"What are you making?" Jack asked curious.

"Chicken and mushroom pasta," the Doctor answered. He turned from the counter and handed Jack a list. "Can you have Ianto pick up these items?" Jack looked the list over to see that it was a few items for the dinner. There was also a request for vanilla ice cream, chocolate and bananas. He looked over at the fruit bowl that sat on the table. There had been twelve bananas in that bowl two days ago and now just one remained. The Doctor normally ate a lot of bananas but that was excessive even for him. Jack had to consider though the Doctor had two Time Lord children developing in his womb that needed the potassium too.

"Anything else?" Jack wondered.

"Nope," The Doctor replied, all ready busy cooking again. Jack had never tasted the Doctor's cooking before and was interested in how it would turn out. He sent Ianto to the store to gather the requested items and then sat at the table trying to stay out of the Doctor's way. The Doctor had several pans going at once, but still had managed to make himself a cup of tea and was eating the last banana as he cooked as well. It was obvious that he knew what he was doing and Jack was curious of why the Doctor had never cooked for him before now. Ianto returned with the requested food and then called it a night, leaving Jack and the Doctor alone in the hub together.

When the meal was ready, the Doctor looked slightly nervous as he sat a plate down in front of Jack, before sitting down with his own. He had no reason to be nervous though because Jack cleaned his plate and a second helping. He was going to have to encourage the Doctor to cook more often because he couldn't remember the last time he had enjoyed pasta so much. For desert they had a small bowl of ice cream topped with chocolate. It was a relaxing evening and both were tired as they retired to bed early.

Once again Jack laid behind the Doctor but this time he lowered the Doctor's trousers. The Doctor gripped his arm tightly as Jack carefully joined their bodies together, trying not to jostle the Doctor to much. He kissed and nibbled the Doctor's neck as he slowly made love to him. This wasn't about rushing to a release or bringing him over the edge as many times as he could. For Jack this was about relearning the body of the Time Lord and showing him he was loved. Jack managed to send the Doctor over the edge before following him.

After the Doctor curled his sweaty body around Jacks. Neither one of them managed to stay awake long as they held each other, in what would be a new beginning in their relationship.


	19. Chapter 19

Jack awoke before the Doctor the next morning. He showered, made them a breakfast of bacon butty's that could be eaten in the SUV and a thermos of tea for the Doctor. His last stop was Martha's lab to gather the Doctor's medication for this morning and tonight, just in case they were out late. When he picked up the pills he was surprised to see that the Doctor was now up to five pills in the morning, one in the afternoon, and three at night. The last time the Doctor had been on so many pills was while he was still healing from the torture he had received and was just off of the IV. Curious Jack began to examine the pills. He easily recognized the pill that was set for three times a day as the Doctor's pain pill. He didn't necessarily take it that many times, but Martha gave him the option in case he needed it. One of the morning pills was a vitamin and the other that was taken twice a day, Jack recognized as an antibiotic. Wondering why the Doctor was on an antibiotic and what the rest of the pills were, Jack carefully gathered them up and headed to wake the sleeping Time Lord.

The Doctor was still laying curled on his side, his breathing even as he clutched the pillow to his chest. Jack hated to wake him but it was a three hour drive to London and they needed to leave soon. Kneeling on the floor near the Doctor, he carefully moved the pillow out of the way and wrapped his mouth around the Doctor's member. He kept his movements slow until he heard the Doctor's breathing change.

"Jack," The Doctor moaned, stretching slightly to give Jack better access. Jack leaned up more and continued his ministrations until the Doctor cried out his release. Swallowing, he crawled up the bed and kissed the Doctor on the mouth.

"Morning," Jack whispered as he kissed his lover again. "Did you like you're wake up call?"

"S'nice," the Doctor whimpered softly as his eyes drifted closed again.

"Sorry sweetheart, but you have to get up now so we can get to London. I have your pills and breakfast all ready to eat in the SUV. You just need to shower and dress." Jack explained. He helped the Doctor to sit up. "The amount of pills you are taken has gone up again. What are all the pills for?"

"Pain killer for my hips, antibiotic for kidneys," The Doctor answered and Jack nodded. The Doctor had been having trouble with his kidneys ever since he returned and they were in almost complete failure. He had been more prone to infection since then and though Jack was sorry to hear that he had another one, it also wasn't surprising. "Prenatal vitamin and a potassium supplement." He continued answering as he headed for the shower and closed the door before he told Jack the fifth pill. It was another one that he took twice a day.

There had been no discussion as he laid miserable in his bed almost three weeks ago. Martha had come in with the four pills that he had told Jack about and the fifth pill. She decanted the pills into his hand along with a glass of water and he had taken the pill without question, thankful that she didn't want to talk about it. The fifth pill was one that he swore that he would never take again, but she was right, he needed it even if he was ashamed to admit it. Depression was not something that Time Lords recognized as a real medical problem, even though he wasn't the first to suffer from it. It had taken him awhile to find pills for his depression and even then he had taken them in secret, ashamed that he needed them. Now that shame was back but as long as he didn't have to admit that he needed them, he would continue to take them.

He finished showering and then climbed into the SUV. Jack had made several bacon butty's and he ate all of his share, drinking most of the tea with them. He took his pills and saw Jack glance at him, hoping for more information on the pills, but he stayed silent. Instead he put the seat back more, so that he was slightly reclined. Then he closed his eyes to rest.

-DW-

Jack liked to think he was smarter then a lot of people gave him credit for. One of them being the Doctor. The minute the Doctor refused to tell him what the pill was for, Jack knew it was something that he was embarrassed about. It had been almost a year now as he had helped the Doctor with many things, including changing his catheter, helping him to the loo, bathing him and helping him to dress. They had discussed his capture, time aboard the valiant and even his feelings for Rose and River. The Doctor had opened up to him in a way that Jack never would have thought possible when he first met the big eared Doctor with the leather jacket. So for the Doctor to be embarrassed about a pill it had to do with something he didn't want to talk about and that was easy for Jack to figure out. After all that the Doctor had been through, he still refused to recognize that he was borderline depressed most days. Jack didn't know how Martha had convinced him to take the medication he needed for it, but Jack was grateful she did.

He looked over at the man sleeping next to him in the SUV. He never quite understood why the Doctor thought he had to carry all the pain and heartache alone. Jack was going to be right there for him and nothing the Doctor could say would ever change that. They both had made mistakes in their lives and had been through wars, walking away changed on the other side. Hell he had probably done worse things then the Doctor, things he wasn't proud of but had been necessary as a time agent.

Not wanting to think about those things, he flicked the stereo on low and listened to the music as he drove. He started slightly as about a half hour later, the Doctor sat up suddenly and turned up the music. Jack didn't know he had woken up but remained quiet as it was obvious the Doctor wanted to hear the song better. It was one Jack had heard before but never paid attention to before now. The lyrics spoke about only missing and realizing you need things after they had gone. Reaching out he took the Doctor's hand and squeezed it tightly. The Doctor squeezed his back, letting go after.

"Both hands on the wheel Jack," He stated, closing his eyes again. The song faded with a last "You let her go," before turning to a more upbeat song with a singer that sounded suspiciously like Rose. Jack turned the music down again.

"You still miss Rose?" Jack questioned.

"I miss the Rose that I lost to Torchwood, not the one that returned here. But Jack, I miss all my companions, friends and family that I lost over the years, not just Rose." The Doctor spoke softly reminding Jack that the Doctor had lost more then probably anyone else in the universe.

"You won't ever lose me, I promise," Jack reassured him with a smile. The Doctor didn't look at Jack as he kept his eyes closed and changed the subject.

"Have you thought of any names for the babies?" The Doctor wondered.

"I was thinking of Welsh names like Anwen and Liliwen," Jack answered him.

"Our children are not welsh," The Doctor commented finally opening his eyes to look at Jack.

"No they aren't, but since they will be living in Wales I thought a Welsh name would be nice." Jack glanced briefly at the Doctor before turning his eyes back to the road. "What names were you thinking of?"

"Kaleimauma and Celesiastra."

"That is quite a mouth full," Jack laughed.

"They are Gallifreyan names. We can shorten them as nicknames but I want the children named after their heritage." The Doctor eyed Jack.

"So Kalie and Astra?" Jack told him after thinking about the names for a moment. The Doctor nodded. Jack thought about the names more. They weren't bad names, but that didn't mean he necessarily liked them. Their heritage was important though and as half Time Lords, Jack agreed they had the right to Gallifreyan names. "So how about we use my names for their middle names?"

"Kaleimauma Anwen Harkness and Celesiastra Liliwen Harkness." The Doctor rolled the names around for a moment. He liked the sound of them. "All right," he agreed. He closed his eyes again and settled back. They had names picked out now and were going to have supplies for the babies by the end of the day. They were almost ready to welcome the twins.


	20. Chapter 20

The two of them returned from London early in the evening much to Jack's surprise. He had expected to have to drag the Doctor away from the shops as they were trying to close for the night, but though the Doctor had happily shopped for their children, he hadn't been his usual chatty itself. Instead he was slightly subdued as he picked out clothes, toys, diapers and other essentials for the girls. At lunch he had only picked at his chicken and chips, then taken his afternoon pain killer without a further comment. He had been a little more enthusiastic as they picked out decorations for the babies rooms but that had waned off as the afternoon passed. Their last stop of the day had been a small Asian market just outside of London. There the Doctor had found a banana soda and had almost burst into tears before Jack had agreed to buy all the cases the man had. Realizing the Doctor had probably had enough for the day, Jack turned to head to Cardiff. They were barely ten minutes into their journey back home when the Doctor fell asleep and slept the entire rest of the way to Cardiff.

"Come on sleepy head wake up," Jack cooed softly as he pulled into his parking place.

"Five more minutes," The Doctor groaned, trying to turn off. Finding he couldn't he opened his eyes to see he was still buckled into the seat. Groaning unhappily he sat up and rubbed his eyes.

"I am going to help you into the hub and then I will unload the items," Jack offered. The Doctor nodded sleepily and didn't make an effort to get out of the SUV until Jack came around to the passenger and opened the door. He helped the Doctor to unbuckle and then took him into the hub. He couldn't hide his concern as he took the Doctor through to his room. The Doctor climbed onto his bed and was almost asleep again as his head hit the pillow. Jack carefully helped him to remove his coat and then remove his shoes. He covered him with a blanket and kissed the Doctor on the head, though he was asleep before Jack left the room.

With Ianto's help, Jack took all the items from the SUV and took them down to the TARDIS, except for the banana soda which he placed in the Torchwood kitchen. He checked on the Doctor every chance he got and was happy the Doctor continued to sleep peacefully. The rift was quiet that night so he sent Ianto home and then settled down to watch the computers and work on reports.

"Jack," The Doctor called out, startling Jack awake. He didn't know when he fell asleep but one moment he had been reading a report about another weevil attack and now it was two hours later he realized as he looked at his watch. He got quickly to his feet and rushed to the Doctor's room. The Doctor looked miserably at him. His head was covered in sweat and there was a fresh puddle of sick next to the bed. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be," Jack replied as he gathered the necessary items to clean up the mess. "I'm sorry I kept you out so long today."

"I had fun," The Doctor responded. He gagged and Jack handed him a bowl to get sick in so that it didn't end up making the mess on the floor worse. Jack cleaned up the mess and then ran a warm bath for the Doctor. He helped the Doctor to undress, draped a towel over his waist and carried him to the bath. The Doctor sighed as he sank into the warm water letting relieve the pain in his hips. Jack didn't climb in with him but knelt down next to the tub in order to be close to him.

"How are you feeling?" Jack wondered. He grabbed a clean cloth and soothingly began to wash the Doctor's body.

"Better thanks," The Doctor mumbled sleepily. Jack was worried about how tired the Doctor still was and considered calling Martha. The Doctor fell asleep once more in the tub and barely stirred as Jack lifted him out. Jack carried him through to his room, laying him on the top blanket. Jack had a lot of experience in caring for the Doctor and was able to dry him off and dress him in a pair of trousers without waking him. He carefully maneuvered the Doctor once more as he removed the wet blankets and replaced them with fresh clean ones. Grabbing a thermometer, he placed it in the Doctor's ear. That finally got a reaction as he grumbled unhappily and swatted at Jack. Jack chuckled and held it in place until it beeped signaling that it was done.

The Doctor's temperature was a little high but nothing to be overly concerned about since he was all ready on an antibiotic. Jack quickly changed into a pair of trousers he could sleep in and then climbed into bed with the Doctor. The Doctor rolled so that he was facing Jack and the two of them cuddled closely as they once more let exhaustion overcome them and drifted into a dreamless sleep.


	21. Chapter 21

The Doctor woke before Jack the next morning and crawled carefully out of the bed. He was still feeling sick and his hips were still sore but he was tired of letting it keep him down. He had things to do and babies to plan for. He didn't bother to dress as he headed down to Martha's lab to pick up his daily medication. To it he added an antiemetic and then he headed to the kitchen to hit up water for a cuppa. While waiting for the water to heat he took his pills with a can of the banana soda and ate a piece of bread. Once the water was done, he made his cuppa and grabbed a few more cans of the soda before heading to the TARDIS. The TARDIS hummed at him happily as he entered. He immediately went to the console, stroking it while he checked her settings. He missed traveling but hoped soon he would be able to again.

"Thank you old girl," He smiled as he felt her brush against his mind affectionately calling him to the corridors. His room was close to the entrance which was strange but across from it there was a door he hadn't seen before. Opening the door he found a large room, perfect for the nursery he was planning for the children. He could all ready see it in his mind. He was going to paint the walls a light blue and then paint a large tree with white leaves on the far wall. Above each of their beds he planned to write their names. He also had a nightlight projector he was going to set up that he had found long ago that made the ceiling of the room look like the night sky when the lights were off. He loved the stars and wanted to share that love with his daughters.

For the furniture they had picked out a simple white crib for both of the babies as well as a chest drawers that was white. He found a rocking chair that he wanted as well. Jack promised that he would have Ianto and Mickey head back to London in the next few days to get the items. There was no point though if the room wasn't ready, the Doctor decided. Setting the tea down out of the way, he grabbed the can of paint and a roller to set to work. He managed to finish one wall and was working on the second when Jack entered the room.

"I could have helped you," Jack commented.

"I can paint a few walls Jack," He rolled Jack's name in slight annoyance and Jack smiled. He walked over to his lover, kissing him deeply.

"How are you feeling?" Jack wondered as he pressed himself against the Doctor. The Doctor could feel Jack's harness through his trousers. He reached down and placed his hand on it.

"Better," He commented. He moved Jack backwards slightly kissing on is neck. His door was still across the hall and he led Jack to it. He pushed Jack backwards so that he fell on the bed. "I want you Jack," He moaned.

"Take me," Jack whispered looking up at him. The Doctor pulled off Jack's trousers but then surprised Jack as he straddled him, sinking down onto Jack's hardness. Jack wanted the Doctor to be on top for a change but the Doctor was happy letting Jack. Jack decided to approach the subject later as he grabbed the Doctor's hips and began to move with him.

-DW-

The next few days the Doctor spent long hours down in the TARDIS decorating the nursery. Jack helped him to build the cribs and place them but other then that he let the Doctor work. The Doctor painted the tree with the white leaves, using a memory he had. Adding shadows the tree looked as though it stood out from the wall. He painted birds, adding detail to the wings so they looked as though they were in flight. Taking his time, he outlined each child's name in circular Gallifreyan, painting the letters a darker blue with a white outline that stood out from the wall. He folded blankets and clothes, putting them away with care.

It was late in the day when Jack went to check on the Doctor. He had been in the TARDIS all day again and hadn't come up for supper. He found the Doctor in the nursery. He had the lights off and the stars projecting onto the ceiling. He was sitting in the rocking chair just staring at them.

"When I was a child I use to sneak out of my home at night to sleep in the barn. I would pass beneath the starry sky and I always stared up at it as I walked, hoping one day I would get a chance to travel those stars," The Doctor commented. He looked at Jack with tears in his eyes. "Our daughters will never get to see that sky Jack."

"No, but you have the room with the grass and trees from your planet. I know it is not the same but a little piece of Gallifrey is always with you and if you allow it, they can play beneath the red sky." Jack knew it wasn't the same, it was all the Doctor had though. Jack missed his home as well and wished he could take the girls to see the peninsula he grew up on. It wasn't the same though because everything he loved about the place died the day his father died and Gray was taken. He could have gone to visit his mother, but she had gone catatonic from the loss and he hadn't spoken to her since he left for the Time Agency. He never thought about it before now as he wondered if the Doctor could take him to see her.

"You're right it is not the same. I never missed that old sky until I could no longer see it," The Doctor smiled sadly. He stood, turning off the light in the room. He held one hand on his stomach supporting his growing children.

-DW-

-Four months later-

The Doctor woke up in the middle of the night with a cry. His stomach was hurting more then he had ever thought possible and he tensed with the pain. He was alone in the room as it was a night that Jack didn't need to sleep but his cry had brought Jack quickly into the room.

"Sweetheart, what's the matter," Jack asked in concern as he sat down on the bed. He grabbed the Doctor's hand and the Doctor squeezed it tightly. He tried to remember his breathing exercises but all he could focus on was the pain and trying to push it back.

"The babies are coming," He cried out as he fell against the pillows panting.

"Are you sure?" Jack asked him. The Doctor looked at Jack as though he were stupid and Jack got the point. The Doctor had been examined only yesterday and the girls had dropped in anticipation of being born, causing the Doctor to waddle. Jack tried not to tease him to much as the Doctor had been irritable the last few days. He had also been nesting, and while the hub had never been cleaner, he had also threw a fit when Ianto accidentally spilled coffee.

"I am going to call Martha," Jack informed him, hurrying out of the room. He was going to be a papa again soon.


	22. Chapter 22

The Doctor had been in labor for just over 14 hours before Martha announced that he was ready to push. Jack sat by his side almost the entire time, holding his hand. His fingers were practically numb from the grip the Doctor had kept. The Doctor had refused to have an epidural and so Jack had been expected to be yelled at and called names like his first wife had done. Besides being called stupid ape a few times though and a snide tone when he was questioned, the Doctor for the most part hadn't yelled at him. By the end of the 14 hours though he was tired and begging Martha to just take the children by C-section like he originally wanted.

Thankfully it hadn't come to that and Jack watched in awe as the Doctor brought their two beautiful daughters into the world. Kalie had come first, she was the one they had labeled as baby A and the bigger of the two. Astra followed shortly after and though both babies were placed on his chest, Martha was concerned about Astra's breathing. She examined both of the babies and then concentrated on Astra for a moment.

"We may need to place her on oxygen if her breathing doesn't improve," Martha commented.

"She can do it," The Doctor answered back kissing the tiny head. He reluctantly let Jack take Kalie as he continued to cuddle Astra. Jack fed Kalie her first bottle and then she was taken by Martha to be weighed and cleaned. Being the larger of the two Jack was surprised to hear that her birth weight was only just over 7 pounds. He expected her to weigh more then that. She was wrapped in a clean pink blanket and a pink and white hat was put over her fuzzy brown head. She handed her back to the Doctor and then took Astra. Astra hadn't taken to the bottle as well as Kalie and only drank about half of what her sister drank. When she was weighed it was discovered that she was only 6 pounds.

"I am going to place Astra on oxygen for a little while," Martha told the Doctor. Rather then giving Astra back to him, she placed her in an incubator and ran the tubes for the oxygen.

"Is she going to be all right?" Jack asked in concern going over to them.

"She is holding her own, she just needs a little help," Martha reassured him. "It is not completely uncommon with twin pregnancies for the littler one to need additional help. She is eating and breathing on her own, just not as well as I would like."

"She will catch up with her sister quickly," The Doctor told Jack sleepily. It had been a long day and now what he really wanted was a nice hot cuppa and a much deserved nap. His body ached in ways he never thought possible. He was also contemplating giving Jack a vasectomy to make sure that he never ended up pregnant again. Though he would love to have more children, he didn't want to give birth again anytime soon. He tried to remember if it had been so bad the first time with his son, but that had been so long ago, that the memories were faded. He yawned and smacked his lips sleepily.

Jack came back over to him. He brushed the Doctor's hair back from his sweaty forehead and kissed him softly.

"I love you," Jack whispered.

"Love you too," The Doctor mumbled in reply as his eyes drifted closed.

"Sleep now sweetheart, you've earned it," Jack fixed the blankets around him. He cuddled Kalie close to him, feeling her warm breath on his skin as he drifted off to sleep. Jack didn't sleep though as he watched his family diligently. Though Torchwood had been his home for years, Jack couldn't wait to get the girls out of the autopsy room and to the TARDIS, where their room was set up. One day soon he hoped to convince the Doctor to settle down into a flat with the children. The Doctor had argued him in the past saying he didn't do domestic, yet here they were with two newborns and engaged to be married. He wouldn't call the Doctor a liar to his face, but he was sure the Doctor would be perfectly happy living in a home. Just as long as he could run on the TARDIS when he needed to.


	23. Chapter 23

-Three Years Later-

The light green waves lapped softly at the golden sand. In the distance the twin suns were setting in the pale red sky. It wasn't the same as the planet he missed so much, but at least he could close his eyes just for a minute and picture his mother, children and grandchildren all in attendance. In reality though it was just a small group gathered on this abandoned beach.

The Doctor stood facing his lover in the fading light. Both of them were wearing dinner suits with white undershirts and matching blue bow ties. Normally the Doctor wouldn't have dreamed of dressing up for the beach but being married on it was Jack's idea. The Doctor would have stayed with Jack even without being married, but Jack wanted to make it official for their children's sake. With the birth of the twins, Jack was able to let the dream would go, but still sometimes he woke in the middle of the night afraid the Doctor was going to leave him. The Doctor had tried to reassure him, that would never happen but he still caught Jack staring at the twins with almost sadness in his eyes. Turning his head slightly, the Doctor saw his twin daughters in the front row sitting with Martha. They were wearing identical pale blue dresses and had their curly brown hair up and tied with a matching pale blue bow. He turned to look at Jack again with a smile on his face.

They exchanged simple gold wedding bands and then per his traditions, Mickey wrapped a simple black strip of fabric around their hands, tying them to one another.

"I pronounce that your wedding vows are sealed and you may henceforth be joined by not only heart but by mind and soul," Mickey stated. "You may now kiss your br..."

"Oi, you better not," The Doctor interjected, causing everyone on the beach to laugh.

"You may now kiss your husband," Mickey restated with a chuckle of his own. The Doctor blushed as Jack leaned in and pressed their lips together. He still wasn't completely comfortable with such open displays of affection, but with marrying Jack, he figured he should get use to it. He broke off the kiss and the two of them turned to look at their friends.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you The Doctor and Captain Jack Harkness," Mickey declared. Martha stood up to clap along with Sarah Jane and her son Luke. Ianto and Gwen were also in attendance and they stood to clap as well. The girls stood and rushed their fathers with big grins on their faces. The Doctor and Jack bent down, each picking up one of the children and then standing again.

Tonight their would be laughter and food on the beach and then tomorrow the girls would be staying with Martha as the Doctor and Jack went on their honeymoon. The Doctor wanted to go to a moon made of honey. well, not actual honey, and it wasn't actually a moon, and technically it was alive, and a bit carnivorous, but there were some lovely views. Jack had put his foot down though and instead they were going to a nice boring actual moon that had a hotel on it. It didn't matter where they went actually because Jack didn't plan on seeing much outside the hotel room for the next few days.

Once the honeymoon was over though, marriage life would start in the new home that Jack had bought them just outside of Cardiff. They were set to move in, in exactly one week. The Doctor had protested but in the end he knew it was the right choice. He had two children to look after and was sure that Jack would make sure a third was on the way soon. That was all right though because as much as he didn't want to admit it, the Doctor was completely and thoroughly domesticated.


End file.
